
Given that we live in the bluest corner of the bluest state, presidential candidates rarely — if ever — stop to stump in the Bay Area. Instead, Clinton and Trump crisscross the same Rust Belt states (and Florida) again and again, promising the world to swing-state residents for their votes.
It feels kinda bad to hear the candidates fawn over how amazing Ohio is, while all we hear from the Donald about California is that Oakland is “the most dangerous city in the world.”
Las Vegas, Chicago, Florida and New York City all contain Trump properties — he’s a brand in those regions. Alas, aside from 555 California Street (which he is quiet about co-owning), there’s no gaudy Trump Tower in SOMA, no Trump Resort in Carmel.
That made us wonder, what does Trump think of the Bay Area, anyway? We combed through his public statements to see if we could figure out his opinions on San Francisco. Here’s what we learned.
1. Trump definitely doesn’t think highly of Oakland.
In an article published on May 18 in the New York Times, he lumped it together with Ferguson and said that it was “among the most dangerous [cities] in the world … the crime numbers are worse. Seriously.”
But not to worry. The New York Times is a dying magazine, apparently.
2. Trump used the shooting on Pier 14 as support for building his wall.
Kathryn Steinle’s brother is (unsurprisingly) upset with the way Trump has politicized his sister’s death. Steinle’s brother said to CNN, “I don’t want to be affiliated with someone who doesn’t have the common courtesy to reach out and ask about Kate and our political views and what we want.”
Trump’s response? Shift the blame.
3. He politicized the Bay Bridge’s troubled reconstruction.
Don’t worry — he has the data to back this one up.
4. He doesn’t really like San Jose. Or the mayor of San Jose, Sam Liccardo.
Alternatively, maybe it’s just thugs he doesn’t like?
5. But he picked the 49ers to win the Super Bowl in 2013!
He may not like our city, but he likes our team (or, more accurately, Santa Clara’s).
But don’t let that blast from the past fool you.
Somehow we don’t think this is going to make him like us more.
[Editor’s note: Donald J. Trump is a demagogue who lacks a fundamental understanding of the dangers of nuclear weapons, harbors a penchant for inciting violence among his followers and has no respect for the basic trappings of democracy.]
