Bay Area Trump supporters say president-elect will deliver on policies that help working class

Thursday, November 7, 2024
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On a recent Trump campaign stop to the Bay Area, the self-proclaimed San Francisco MAGA MOMMA was out in her full support. She is ecstatic Trump will be president, again.

"All I want to do is 'Make America Great Again,'" says Nancy Githoitho, her real name. "I'm very vocal, I am very bold. Actually, I'm like the only Black girl who is really big on Trump (in San Francisco)."

Githoitho lives in San Francisco. Born in Kenya, now a U.S. citizen. She says her support stems from social policies that she believes Trump will deliver on.

"I live in San Francisco. There is nothing you can do here if you do not embrace the LGBTQ narrative policies," says Githoitho. "He will also be able to protect, and keep men out of women's sports. Which is very, very big for us as women."

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As President-elect Trump prepares to return to office, Mindy Pechenuk says Trump's growing support in California sends a strong message.



"With Donald Trump, you saw a man who is committed to the working people of America. He is committed to world peace," says Pechenuk, an Oakland resident. She is also a candidate in the yet-to-be-called Oakland City Council race, though trailing the leading candidates.

Despite some of President-elect Trump's comments that have been criticized as racist and misogynistic, Pechenuk doesn't believe that's who Trump really is. She says look to his "America First" policies for real evidence.

"To create and discover new scientific principles. And Trump's commitment to the space program. That's why his with collaboration with Elon Musk is so important," she says.

"I think there is a general feeling in the country folks want change. Joe Biden was not it, and as a reason Harris was not it. And a lot of folks have put their faith in Trump, shaking things up and a new direction for them," says Nolan Higdon, Professor of History and Communication at UC Santa Cruz.

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Professor Higdon says California fits into the national trend where the big issues are still crime, housing and immigration. And because it's a blue state, it is easy to blame Democrats.



He even points out how President Biden started to turn some of the Trump's rhetoric into actual policy.

"The Democrats shifted, basically advocating for open borders, to some closures. They shifted from critiques of China were racists, to China is a competitor and enemy," explains Higdon.

Harmeet Dhillon is an RNC Committeewoman for California, and a lawyer for the Trump campaign. She says important to note how Trump outperformed expectations - even in California - picking up more votes than prior election cycles.



"He increased his vote with African Americans, Latinos and women, including white women in the suburbs. You name it, we did better in that demographic," says Dhillon. "Voters are unhappy. And when they are unhappy, the incumbents lose."

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