President Trump has arrived in Los Angeles on a rare visit in effort to raise money for his re-election bid. Protesters and supporters of Trump gathered in front of the Beverly Hills hotel with large banners and signs expressing their political views. Trump apparently snuck in through the back entrance to avoid the crowd.
One supporter told KFI News' Kris Ankarlo that he was excited to just get a glimpse of the president. "I support Trump. I voted for him 2016, my first election and I figured you know what I'll come down, check it out and I heard he's going to be rolling through here, so hey I'll show my support."
Small eruptions have increasingly broken out as the two crowds clashed over varying opinions.
"This is a fascist regime and I'm apart of the movement 'Refuse Fascism.' We are a nationwide movement and we recognize that this is fascism and it needs to be driven out."
Things turned sideways as a far left group circled up to try and burn an American flag. Trump supporters rushed the circle attempting to grab the flag. Things turned violent and both sides began throwing punches before BHPD showed up in an armored vehicle and set up a perimeter. A few people were handcuffed before the crowds dissolved.
While here, the President also intends to take a more active role in combating the homelessness problem in the Southland and around the state.
“We can't let Los Angeles, San Francisco and numerous other cities destroy themselves by allowing what's happening,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the Bay Area, where he landed around 11 a.m.
“... We have people living in our ... best highways, our best streets, our best entrances to buildings ... where people in those buildings pay tremendous taxes, where they went to those locations because of the prestige. In many cases they (building tenants) came from other countries and they moved to Los Angeles or they moved to San Francisco because of the prestige of the city, and all of a sudden they have tents. Hundreds and hundreds of tents and people living at the entrance to their office building. And they want to leave.
“And the people of San Francisco are fed up, and the people of Los Angeles are fed up,” he said. “And we're looking at it, and we'll be doing something about it.”