US: Trump making rare Western trip to raise cash for Republicans and talk about economy

(By Darlene Superville for the conversation)

President Donald Trump is making a rare visit to California and Nevada this week to try to draw contrasts with Democrats on the economy, border security and crime, seeking to shore up support for Republicans in November elections that will determine whether his party keeps control of Congress.

The Republican president has struggled to connect with voters on the economy as elevated inflation and Americans' feelings of uncertainty have overshadowed the stock market gains he often cites along with a low national unemployment rate.

Just before Trump arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday to speak at a Republican National Committee fundraising dinner at a golf club his family owns in Rancho Palos Verdes, authorities revealed that a California man who was carrying ammunition and had a gun in his car had been arrested on Sunday at the golf course. The man appeared to have been monitoring security preparations.

On Wednesday, Trump will discuss the economy during an event at Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas. Only 32 per cent of US adults approved of Trump's handling of the economy in an AP-NORC poll conducted in late July. In the same poll, most Americans, 69 per cent, characterised the state of the economy as "poor", and many said the cost of everyday essentials like groceries and gas was a "major" source of stress in their lives.

Trump's overall approval rating is at 33 per cent, slightly below where he stood at this point in his first term.

Trump likely to take aim at Democratic Gov. Newsom

During the trip, Trump is likely to throw barbs at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat eyed as a likely candidate for his party's presidential nomination in 2028. Newsom has become one of the president's highest-profile opponents.

White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said the president plans to "draw a sharp contrast between his commonsense agenda and the radical policies of Democrats like Gavin Newsom", touting his own efforts to cut taxes, reduce fraud in government programmes and crack down on immigration and crime.

California was one of Trump's first domestic stops after returning to office in January 2025. He surveyed the aftermath of wildfires that had wiped out whole neighbourhoods of Los Angeles County, left thousands of people homeless and killed more than two dozen.

Newsom greeted Trump at the airport on that trip, and they chatted amiably and gestured toward cooperation despite a bitter history. But the comity did not last. Six months later, Newsom argued in a speech that "democracy is under assault" by Trump after the president sent National Guard troops and US Marines into Los Angeles without Newsom's consent. This came after protests following a series of immigration raids by federal authorities.

Trump routinely mocks Newsom and refers to the governor using a derogatory nickname, while Newsom taunts the president with frequent social media posts.

The Democrat's press office put out a statement on Tuesday, saying that Trump was travelling to California not to help survivors of the wildfires but to raise money and attack the state with lies.

"More than anything, we'd like the President to keep the promise he made on January 24, 2025: to 'take care of Los Angeles'," Newsom said. "18 months later, survivors are still waiting. And while you're here, Mr. President, welcome to the world's fourth-largest economy - growing faster than Texas and Florida combined. Enjoy your stay."

"Trump treats California like his personal political punching bag - right up until he needs someone to write a check," California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks said in a statement. "He may hit up a few billionaire donors who bankroll his political operation, but the people of California have already made it clear: they want nothing to do with his chaos and corruption."

Housing prices big issue at Trump's second stop: Nevada

Nevada, where Trump will be on Wednesday, is led by a Republican governor, Joe Lombardo, who faces Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford in a battle for reelection in November. The contest is considered one of the most competitive governor's races in the country.

The Nevada State Democratic Party is putting up billboard signs about Trump's visit that tie him to Lombardo and higher costs. The state is grappling with a shortage of affordable housing, exploding energy demand from artificial intelligence data centres and federal cuts to key state programmes.

Trump has tried for several months to sell voters on his income tax cuts and claims of a manufacturing renaissance. But interest rates are high, a gallon of gasoline costs more because of the Iran war, tariffs are still reshaping the economy and, by the White House's own estimates, there is a national shortage of housing.

The president called his own housing bill a "yawn", and past speeches advertised by the White House as being about the economy, including one he delivered at a General Motors facility in Michigan last week, gave way to Trumpian weaves about his political enemies and construction projects in the nation's capital.

(Darlene Superville is a White House reporter who covers the White House for The Associated Press)