Trump later commented on the incident while speaking at the convention.
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California’s primary is June 7, a date once seen as too late to influence the selection process.
OH governor John Kasich, who remains in the Republican race alongside Texas senator Ted Cruz, speaks to the convention on Friday evening. Dozens of cars – including those of Trump supporters – were stuck in the street as hundreds of demonstrators blocked the road, waved Mexican flags and posed for selfies in front of lines of riot police. One team dropped a banner reading “stop hate”, with an image of a gun-wielding GOP elephant aimed at a man. At a rally outside, one protester yelled, “Mr. Hate, leave our state!”
Despite the chaos outside the GOP convention in Burlingame on Friday, the scene inside the Hyatt was relatively calm as Trump tried to solidify his support among California Republicans. “She said, ‘There are helicopters following you, and we did, we went under a fence and through a fence, and, oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border, actually”.
“I think we should be interrupting the convention and make sure that Trump does not make the stage today”, she said. A man identified as a Trump supporter was seen bleeding from a head injury after a confrontation with members of the crowd.
Mr Trump has called himself the Republican “presumptive nominee” after a string of primary wins.
Ken Khachigian, a longtime Republican strategist and former speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan, said Trump, who has relied largely on instincts and media exposure so far in dominating the Republican field, will need to roll up his sleeves and think through how to appeal to California’s various diverse constituencies.
“No one has ever had to do anything like this before in California”, said Richard Temple, a veteran Republican strategist who is working on an independent campaign to derail front-runner Trump because he feels the bombastic NY businessman and reality TV star will destroy the party he loves – and nearly surely lead the GOP to a crushing defeat in November. Their only hope is to deny him a majority of delegates heading into the July convention and fight for the prize in multiple ballots there. The California convention crowd defies expectation in a state known as a Democratic fortress. Some protesters badgered Trump’s fans as they walked to their cars in the parking lot. There have been pushes toward moderation, but the group tends toward conservative leanings and favors calls for a strong national defense, free markets, tax cuts and shrinking the size of government.
It is also socially conservative.
Trump has spoken favorably about Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion services.
“Folks, I’m a conservative, but at this point, who cares?”
At least 20 people were arrested after protests erupted in California following a campaign rally for US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The surge of protestors, which numbered in the hundreds, forced the billionaire to use the back entrance into the hotel that enabled him to deliver his remarks. It takes 1,237 to clinch the nomination.
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“I will do my duty and vote for the man if it’s Trump because I want a Republican in the White House”, said Lois Shade of Glendora, California.
