Trump fires up California Republicans with calls to shoot store robbers

In an occasionally dark and profane speech, Donald Trump has sought to win over Republicans in California by complaining that rich people in Beverly Hills smell bad because they're denied water, reiterating claims about widespread election fraud and calling on police to shoot people robbing stores.

"We will immediately stop all of the pillaging and theft. Very simply: If you rob a store, you can fully expect to be shot as you are leaving that store," he said on Friday, drawing loud applause. "Shot!" he added for emphasis.

Trump was one of several Republican presidential contenders appearing at the event in this Democratic stronghold.

While there's little hope for any of them to defeat President Joe Biden here in a general election, California will play a critical role in the slate of states voting on March 5 in the so-called Super Tuesday primaries.

With 169 delegates at stake, a win in California would move a Republican presidential candidate much closer to the nomination.

And a recent rule change could give Trump, who is so far dominating the primary, an advantage.

If he wins more than 50 percent of the vote, he would be awarded all of the state's delegates.

"With your help, we're going to win the California primary," the former president said.

'Don't be too nice'

Trump's comments on Friday underscored a central question surrounding his effort to return to the presidency.

While his focus on red meat issues plays well with the GOP base, it's unclear that it will hold much appeal with the broader set of voters needed to win a general election. His remarks about crime, for instance, were especially pointed.

In the past, Trump has proposed shooting refugees to prevent them from crossing the border.

In his book and in interviews, former Defence Secretary Mark Esper alleged Trump inquired about shooting protesters during the George Floyd demonstrations.

He has also proposed the death penalty for drug dealers, human traffickers and anyone convicted of killing a police officer.

During his first year in office, Trump advised police to be rougher in their handling of suspects being apprehended, telling recruits, "Please don’t be too nice."

"The word that they shoot you will get out within minutes, and our nation, in one day, will be an entirely different place," Trump said on Friday.

"There must be retribution for theft and destruction and the ruination of our country."

Homicides and other violent crimes have risen in California, where residents have also been deluged with headlines from rampant car break-ins and drug use in San Francisco’s troubled Tenderloin district to street racing and illegal takeovers across a new $588-million bridge in Los Angeles.

Several GOP presidential candidates and others in the party have pointed in particular to events this week in Philadelphia, where dozens of people face criminal charges after a night of social media-fueled mayhem in which groups of thieves, apparently working together, smashed their way into stores in several areas of the city.

Dumping ground

Trump tapped into California Republicans' exhaustion with their state's Democratic leaders, who he said brought the state homelessness, open borders, high taxes, inequality, "woke tech tyrants" and rising crime.

California was once a symbol of American prosperity and creativity but is "becoming a symbol of our nation's decline," Trump said.

"We will reverse the decline of America, and we will end the desecration of your once great state, California," Trump said.

"This is not a great state anymore. This is a dumping ground. You’re a dumping ground. The world is being dumped into California. Prisoners. Terrorists. Mental patients."

Trump was in California just two days after he bypassed the second GOP debate at Ronald Reagan’s presidential library northwest of Los Angeles, signalling again that he sees no need to appear side-by-side with lesser-known contenders.

Other speeches

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were also scheduled to speak at the two-day convention being held at a hotel near Disneyland.

Scott said police should get more respect and more money but stopped far short of Trump’s call for violence.

"We should respect the police, re-fund the police and thank God Almighty they’re willing to run in when everybody else is running out," Scott said to a significantly smaller crowd than Trump’s in remarks that appeared to be cut short after the front-runner’s speech ran late.

DeSantis restated his criticism of Trump for skipping Wednesday’s debate.

"You gotta show up, you gotta answer questions, and you gotta defend your record," DeSantis said.

Lori Cisneros, 50, a farmer and teacher from Tehachapi, California, said she hopes to be a Republican delegate next year.

She said she had taken a look at DeSantis and other Republican candidates but still preferred Trump.

"Trump is the one I'm sold on," she said. "You can't deny all the things he did over the years to make America great again."