Former President Donald Trump will make a rare visit to Democrat-dominated California next month, speaking at the state Republican Party convention in Anaheim.
Trump will speak at a luncheon event on Sept. 29, the opening day of the convention at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel, according to the California Republican Party.
“We are thrilled to welcome President Trump back to the CAGOP convention stage for the first time since our 2016 convention,” CAGOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said in a statement. “As California Republicans prepare to play a major role in deciding who our party’s 2024 presidential nominee will be, I look forward to President Trump speaking with our delegates about his plans to move our country forward. We look forward to a great event and lunch keynote address from President Trump.”
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita said, “President Trump is looking forward to seeing California Republicans at their state convention and is confident of overwhelming success in the upcoming March primary.”
News of Trump’s visit came days after the state Republican Party amended its process for awarding delegates to candidates in the March 5 primary election. Under the amended process, if a presidential primary election candidate receives more than half of the votes cast, that person will receive all 169 of the state’s delegates. If no candidate reaches 50%, the delegates will be awarded proportionally based on the number of votes received.
Delegates were previously awarded by individual congressional districts within the state.
The change is seen as a major boon for Trump, who holds a solid lead in national polls among GOP presidential hopefuls despite recent criminal indictments.
Updated Aug. 1, 2023, 1:30 p.m.
