'Chicken Trump,' 'Baby Trump' balloons fly high as demonstrators protest Pres. Trump's 1st visit to Bay Area during presidency
SAN FRANCISCO -- President Donald Trump made a stop in the Bay Area for the first time as president.
As President Trump made his way down Air Force One at Moffett Field, he was greeted with the chants of "USA! USA!"-- a truly American welcome for a man, who most in the small crowd of supporters hope is re-elected as next U.S. president.
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Shannon Creson made the trip from Discovery Bay. Wearing a signature red "Make America Great Again" hat, Creson says he came out to support Trump's bid for 2020.
"Oh, it was terrific, you only get it once in a while here in California, obviously," says Creson of Trump's visit. "Gonna 'Make America Great Again,' hopefully again in 2020!"
President Trump was greeted on the tarmac by Republican National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon and her husband, Savjit Randhawa, along with Robin Aube-Warren, acting Associate Director of NASA's Ames Research Center.
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Off to the side of the runway was a crowd of Trump supporters, several wearing the signature red "Make America Great Again" hat.
President Trump has been very critical of the largely democratic and blue Bay Area, but Silicon Valley is green. Millions in political contributions are up for grabs for both sides, republicans and democrats.
Trump was in town for a fundraising event in the Portola Valley area. The fundraiser is expected to bring in $3 million for his campaign, as reported by the Associated Press.
According to the Federal Election Committee, when looking at itemized donations of $200 or more, through June of this year, President Trump is the third-highest fundraiser in California, trailing just U.S. Senator Kamala Harris and Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Trump's two-day visit to California is expected to raise several million more.
"I think we need to protect our boarders, all the things he stands for I believe in. We'd be a very vulnerable nation if we followed the liberal agenda," says Jane Butterfield of Newark, who was also on hand at Moffett Field.
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Brandon Lang, of Redwood City, is a recent graduate of UC Santa Cruz. He says he came out as a show of support for President Trump. For Lang, several things stand out about Trump's presidency.
First and foremost, Lang says he backs the president's "America First Agenda," putting the interest of the America people ahead of the rest of the world.
"In the past few decades, kind of lead astray in supporting other countries outside of our own. Putting ourselves at risk. And not taking care of the people who are in need of help in our own country," Lang says.
He attributes the strength of the economy to the Trump administration as another sign of Trump's leadership.
He adds that while the Bay Area may swing blue, there are pockets of red, but many of them have been silenced.
"There is a culture of shame in this area. That needs to change, and him coming here to show his support of us can be a good sign that is something that can be turned around," says Lang.
Vanila Singh came out with her children and their grandparents. She says she wanted her two children to have to a chance to see Air Force One. "It is a pretty amazing plane, probably the most amazing plane," says Singh.
As for politics, she says the family came out to welcome the president, not just as republicans, but as Americans.
Singh says the president's visit to the Bay Area, a democratic strong-hold, indicates his willingness to overlook party lines.
"Any good president is trying to be president for all," she says. "I think it's a great idea for the president to go and hear the people, whatever their perspective, so (the president is) informed."
As supporters of President Trump donated thousands of dollars at a private fundraiser to help with his re-election campaign, protesters gathered to voice their displeasure and disappointment with his policies.
"I felt that I'm so close, I mean, he's in my backyard... I had to make an effort to be here and just quietly show my work," said Silicon Valley artist Kira Od, who protested in front of the entrance to the president's luncheon on Los Trancos Road.
Protesters have made their presence felt for the president's visit; "Chicken Trump" and "Baby Trump" balloons have been on display near the fundraiser.
"Some people on the left have proven that they are not willing to let people gather peacefully, and hear the candidate of their choice," Shane Patrick Connelly, chairman of the Santa Clara County Republican Party, said Monday night.
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Backbone Campaign is the group behind "Baby Trump." They collected $2,500 to fund the balloon's trip from San Francisco down to the South Bay.
The balloon flew about four minutes away from where the president attended a fundraiser for his 2020 campaign.
Kennedy Camacho, a Trump supporter from Union City, didn't have a ticket to the event, but came out anyway, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"It's about supporting what you believe, and what you stand for, and that's the beauty of this country, that we're able to stand for what we believe in," said Camacho.
Republican strategist Lanhee Chen is a veteran of several high-profile political campaigns and says the president has a number of strong supporters in Silicon Valley.
"Obviously the majority of people in the Bay Area do not support the president, but those who do are quite supportive, in part because of that bunker mentality that comes from being in a place where the president and the Republicans and the conservatives don't have that much support," said Chen.
Politics aside, others stopped by this afternoon, just hoping to catch a glimpse of the president.
"It's not every day you get a president or a presidential candidate in the area," said Woodside resident Mike Smith. "It's a small community, so I was in the area, and figured I'd stop in, and see what was going on."
During the fundraiser, President Trump met with 25 supporters for a roundtable discussion and then delivered a speech to a crowd of a couple hundred people, according to the White House. Tickets ranged from $1,000 to $100,000 each.
"A lot of people were there and it was just an unbelievable event," said San Jose businessman Skip Lightfoot. "He's (Trump) not a typical politician. He doesn't come off like that to me. He comes off as a regular guy who knows what the people want."
Harmeet Dhillon represents California on the Republican National Committee and escorted the president from Moffett Field to the fundraiser.
"He's acutely aware of the homeless crisis, the one-sided government, the housing crisis, the water crisis," said Dhillon. "He's very familiar with California's issues."
President Trump was scheduled to attend another fundraiser Tuesday evening in Beverly Hills. He'll then wrap up his California trip with a visit to San Diego on Wednesday.
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