Southern California politicians react to Trump inauguration

Following Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration Monday, reactions in Southern California were, as expected, reflective of the nation’s starkly drawn party lines.

Republicans extolled the 47th president’s return to the White House as a “Golden Age of America,” with Democrats launching harsh criticisms about wildfire relief, immigration policy and LGBTQ+ issues.

“On this glorious day we pray that God continues to watch over President @realDonaldTrump, Vice President@JDVance, and the entire United States of America,” the Republican Party of Los Angeles County posted on X. “The Golden Age of America has begun.”

Orange County Republican Party Chairman Will O’Neill shared similar sentiments on social media.

“President Trump declared that ‘The Golden Age of America begins now,” O’Neill said. “Today starts a new day.  After four dark years, it is morning again in America.”

Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair Mark Ramos’ point of view was markedly different.

“Inaugurations are meant to inspire hope and remind us of the shared values that bind us as a nation,” Ramos said, according to published reports. “But we heard something entirely different today (in Trump’s inaugural address).

“His message was clear,” Ramos said. “If you don’t see the world as he does, you’re not just wrong — you’re an enemy. And enemies, he promises, will face retribution. This is not leadership. It’s fearmongering. … We as Democrats believe in a country of opportunity, justice, and respect, and we will continue to fight for that, no matter what.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement, “As our nation observes the peaceful transfer of power, we are reminded of the enduring principles that underpin our democracy: finding common ground and striving toward shared goals.

“In the face of one of the worst natural disasters in America’s history, this moment underscores the critical need for partnership, a shared commitment to facts, and mutual respect — values that enable civil discourse, effective governance, and meaningful action,” Newsom said of the recent wildfires in LA County. “I look forward to President Trump’s visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild.

“Where our shared principles are aligned, my administration stands ready to work with the Trump-Vance administration to deliver solutions and serve the nearly 40 million Californians we jointly represent,” the governor said.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Los Angeles, also noted the LA area’s need for federal assistance because of the wildfires and was skeptical about political partisanship playing a role in the Trump administration’s disaster response.

“Trump’s second term will define his legacy, and history will ultimately remember him by the leadership — or lack thereof — that he demonstrates in helping California respond, recover, and rebuild from these fires,” Kamlager-Dove said in a statement. “I urge Donald Trump to direct Congressional Republicans to put the pitchforks down and deliver the disaster relief that California urgently needs. ‘America First’ means federal aid without conditions.”

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California, was the House of Representatives’ lead impeachment manager during the first impeachment trial during Trump’s first term and is a frequent target of rhetorical attacks by the newly inaugurated commander in chief.

“Today marks the start of a new Presidential Administration,” Schiff said in a statement Monday. “I congratulate President Trump and hope that we can all work together on behalf of the American people.

“There are many challenges facing our country, and we must find a way to tackle them,” Schiff said. “I am ready to partner with my Republican colleagues on any issue where we can find common ground. To bring down costs, to build housing, and to create more jobs.

“To address the crime that is affecting so many and to fix an economy that seems to work best for those at the very top and big corporations,” the statement continued. “To protect our freedoms, increase opportunity for our families, and shore up our standing around the globe. And to secure necessary aid to help California recover and rebuild from this month’s tragic wildfires.”

Schiff, whose former House district included Burbank and other foothill cities, added, “I am clear-eyed about the challenges we may face. Our differences can feel extreme at times. And California, I will never back down when our rights are threatened, our values are under attack, or our communities are demonized.”

On Monday, Trump pardoned many of the protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Trump’s loss to Joe Biden was about to be certified. Schiff called the pardons “a sick betrayal of the rule of law.”

In a statement, he said “Four years ago, officers of the law stood their ground to protect members of Congress and staff as violent insurrectionists stormed the Capitol. These brave officers were beaten, crushed, bear sprayed, maced, and left to defend democracy with their bare hands.

“The halls they protected were desecrated by hate and chaos. Offices ransacked. The electoral count delayed,” the senator said. “Today, in a grim irony, Donald Trump took the oath of office under the protection of those same officers, standing in those same hallowed halls he incited violence against just four years earlier.

“And in one of his first acts, he pardoned the perpetrators and planners of that violence and sedition.

“Trump’s action today is a sick betrayal of the rule of law and adds grievous insult to injury to law enforcement officers. These men and women fought to uphold the rule of law, only to see it mocked by a man who swore just a few hours ago, to God and country, to defend it.

“It’s a desecration of memory and the idea of a peaceful transfer of power, and a brazen attempt to rewrite history.

“But history will not be rewritten. Not by a thousand lies or a thousand pardons,” Schiff continued. “Instead, we may be witnessing something worse: the newest milestone along the road to autocracy, in which a president pardons those who do violence on his behalf and encourages others to do the more of the same.”

Regarding immigration issues — and the new president’s promise of mass deportations — a demonstration that organizers called a “Protest Rally Against Trump Agenda: No Deportations” took place Monday at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights. The rally also included calls for reproductive rights and U.S. solidarity with Palestine.

Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona, vice chair of communications for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, affirmed the caucus’ dedication to protecting Latino families and marginalized communities.

“Hispanic Americans are shaping the future of this nation, and the CHC is ready to work with President Trump to uplift Latino communities across every sector,” Torres said in a statement. “We look forward to working with this administration to deliver for Latino families.”

“But let me be clear: If harmful rhetoric or policies persist, the CHC will not hesitate to set the record straight and advocate for the growth and success of our community,” Torres said.

Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said in a statement, “The inauguration of a new president in the United States augurs new beginnings, opening of doors and the united search for possibilities for all.

“Not this time,” Salas said. “A Donald Trump administration threatens to be a stark contrast for immigrant communities everywhere and for a nation that just a few years ago was lauding the contributions of immigrants as essential and key to keeping our nation afloat during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let us be clear: Mr. Trump’s promise to change America is dangerous doublespeak,” Salas continued. “His policies scapegoat and target immigrants without basis on the truth. This approach is cruel, racially biased, and un-American and we will oppose it by remaining united, resilient, and supportive of immigrants everywhere.”

Another civil rights organization, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, is the nation’s largest network of Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights groups. That group also pledged to continue efforts protecting immigrants’ rights.

“The divisive rhetoric and policies of his campaign, coupled with the lingering effects of his previous administration, underscore the urgency of our mission,” according to an AAAJ statement. “We will continue our relentless efforts to protect immigrant rights, combat voter suppression, and confront hate and discrimination in all its forms and remain resolute in our commitment to supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.”

Among Trump’s slew of executive orders Monday was a dismantling of federal diversity, equity and inclusion reforms. Trump said during his inaugural address the United States would recognize only the male and female genders.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center called those moves threats to the LGBTQ+ and trans communities.

“On the day we honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. … it is clear that President Trump’s second presidency will be an affront to everything Dr. King stood for,” Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Joe Hollendoner said in a statement

“The next four years will be consequential for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those already facing the compounded impacts of racism, transphobia, xenophobia, and economic injustice,” Hollendoner said. “We know that our work is being targeted by the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress, but we remain unwavering in our commitment to providing the life-saving services that are essential to our community.

“The center will fight to protect federal funding for Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, HIV services, and LGBT-specific intimate partner violence programs, despite scare tactics by members of the Trump administration to cut these services.”

Inland Empire lawmakers also offered a range of views on the incoming Trump administration.

“Over the past four years, Americans have seen and felt the negative impacts of an affordability crisis, a tidal wave of illegal immigration and emboldened aggression by our adversaries,” Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, said in a statement responding to Trump’s inauguration. “Today, that era ends because voters across the nation chose President Donald Trump to take us in a different direction.”

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, said he was “disappointed in the outcome of the presidential election and am alarmed at what it might mean for the communities I represent,” but he decided to attend the swearing-in ceremony “to show love of country and how I will always defend its ideals and values.”

Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican whose district includes a portion of southwest Riverside County and a large area of northern San Diego County, quoted Trump on his X account, “The impossible — in America, it is what we do best.

“America’s comeback team is here,” Issa said. “Congratulations, Mr. President.”

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, did not comment on the inauguration, but in recent days voiced concerns and condemnations.

“Over the next several years, we will see a constant barrage of attacks on the rights of the queer community,” he said in one posting.

In another post Takano said, “House Republicans are bending the knee to the real president, and the biggest name at Mar-a-Lago: Elon Musk … He calls the shots for the Republican party. He is unelected and just as out of touch as the rest of the GOP.”

It would be a mistake for “partisan” politics to get in the way of “positive outcomes for all Californians,” Calvert said.

“Our objectives are clear: we must help bring down the day-to-day cost of living for working families and seniors,” he added. “We must re-establish our borders and enforce the rule-of-law. We must secure the peace of our country and allies, not through more conflict, but through strength and deterrence.”

Calvert appealed to “all Americans to join us in working together to create a more prosperous, safer and peaceful future for this country.”

Republican Rep. Young Kim, who represents areas of San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties, said on X, “The president’s success is our nation’s success. I look forward to working with President Trump and his administration to get our country back on the right track.”

Trump served as the nation’s 45th president from 2017 to 2021.

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