California Democrats take aim at Trump, GOP
SACRAMENTO – California’s elected Democrats had tough words for President Donald Trump and the GOP Congress on Saturday, urging their party’s fired-up activists to work against the 14 Republicans in the state’s congressional delegation.
The party’s leaders presented California as the epicenter of liberal resistance to the president.
“The world, literally the world, is counting on all of you, counting on California to reject Trump’s deception and destructiveness,” said Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is among a crowded field of Democrats running for governor next year.
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, often mentioned as a potential candidate for president in 2020, accused Trump of putting “Russia first, America second.”
“Democrats, we need to keep up the fight and recognize that when our nation’s very sovereignty is under attack ... This is wrong, and we need the truth,” Harris said.
The convention comes less than a week after the U.S. Justice Department appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during last year’s election — a charge Trump has vehemently denied and called a witch hunt.
In a sign of the vigor of the party’s distaste for the president, outgoing party Chair John Burton, a longtime Democratic lawmaker and powerbro- ker known for his blunt and profane manner, extended two middle fingers in the air as the crowd cheered and joined him.
“F--- Donald Trump,” he said.
California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte said Democrats are focused on Trump to avoid talking about their own policies, including a recent decision to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees to pay for road improvements.