|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
President Donald Trump’s fundraising luncheon Tuesday, Sept. 17, ended up being in Los Trancos Woods near Portola Valley, but protesters found out about the location early enough that morning to switch their demonstration to Rossotti Field, a soccer field adjoining the Alpine Inn, the well-known Portola Valley roadhouse.
About 80 to 90 demonstrators showed up at the site, where a “baby Trump” balloon hung over the field.
The Trump motorcade, composed of four cars, thundered by at high speed at 11:30 a.m., turning left off Alpine Road onto Arastradero Road in the direction of 610 Los Trancos Road, the home of Scott McNeely, the former CEO of Sun Microsystems, once located in the Menlo Park building now occupied by Facebook.
“I heard that he was coming, and I felt compelled to make my protest,” said Mark Leather of Los Gatos. Leather was standing next to Arnie Thompson of San Francisco, who was holding the cable attached to the balloon.
Leather said he also participated in the 2016 demonstration when Trump spoke at a fundraiser at a Burlingame hotel, but he said this protest was a lot smaller.
The Raging Grannies, a group dedicated to social activism whose members dress up in outfits that mock stereotypes of older women, were out in force, holding up signs on Alpine Road as drivers whizzed past, many of them honking their horns to indicate support.
Ruth Roberts, a Palo Alto resident and a Raging Granny, said she is particularly opposed to Trump’s policy of separating families at the Mexican border.
“We have the granny attitude, which means protecting future generations,” Roberts said.
“Trump is sneaking in here to solve the homeless problem, but he’s just doing it as a publicity stunt.”
Marcia Plavcan of Redwood City said she was able to come out because she is currently off work taking care of her 6-year-old daughter. She said she was particularly incensed at Trump because she has friends who had to leave the country in fear of being deported.
“A lot of people who could have been here weren’t because they couldn’t take off work,” Plavcan said.
Some of the signs were clever. Jim Burrill of Redwood City held up one that read “Know More Muslims” and was handing out a leaflet that said “Toddlers shoot more Americans than Muslim immigrants do. Send all toddlers back where they came from!”
“There’s not too many opportunities to demonstrate against Trump in California, so I’m taking advantage of this one,” Burrill said.
Trump’s visit to the Bay Area was a brief one, with the luncheon being his only stop before he boarded Air Force One at Moffett Field for another fundraiser in Beverly Hills that evening.
Donors paid $1,000 to $100,000 for tickets to the fundraiser. Guests who paid $100,000 per couple attended an exclusive “roundtable” meeting with Trump prior to the luncheon. Both the $100,000 level and $35,000 level (also per couple) came with the opportunity to take a photo with the president.
See earlier story.
—
ā¢
-
“Illuminated PiƱata No. 12: Crocodile & Hydrus” by Roberto Benavidez, part of “Encounters: Honoring the Animal in Ourselves” at the Palo Alto Art Center. Image courtesy of the artist. -
Artist Jim Campbell’s LED-based pieces often use a grid format with blinking lights or blurred black-and-white film backgrounds. Photo by Betty Noguchi/Anderson Collection. -
The “Process and Pattern” exhibition at Anderson Collection at Stanford features recent acquisitions. Photo by Betty Noguchi. -
Bill (Michael Champlin) Charlie (Quincy Shaindlin) and Sherri (Kristin Walter) have a heated family argument in “Admissions” by Los Altos Stage Company. Photo by Richard Mayer. -
Roberta (Judith Miller) argues with Sherri (Kristen Walter) over diversity — or lack thereof — shown in their school’s admissions brochure in Los Altos Stage Company’s “Admissions.” Photo by Richard Mayer. -
Alice Murphy (Elizabeth Santana) and Jimmy Ray Dobbs (Frankie Mulcahy) flirt in Plao Alto Players’ “Bright Star.” Photo by Scott Lasky. -
Palo Alto Players’ Managing Director Elizabeth Santana stars in “Bright Star.” Photo by Scott Lasky.
Looks like the pendulum is swinging to the right!!!
Trump 2020.
Looks like somebody is argument starved! LOL!!
Itās hilarious people donāt know what to do with their feelings anymore but scream and yell. Itās as if all these protesters grew up in an era of participation trophies.
TRUMP 2020
The keyboard cowboys with false narratives poking the other side, the orange baby-man tweeting, the crybaby balloon, the women dressed as grannies showing up to yell at cars and the people who show up to yell at the people dressed as grannies who are yelling at cars.
It. Is. ALL. HILARIOUS!
At least it is to the sane majority in the middle.
The fringers are the jesters in this all, like a pug with stability issues š
Here come the Benghazi conspiracy theories. It’s great when letting people like psr talk exposed just how detached they are from reality
Turn off Fox News for a few minutes, it’ll be good for your brain.
Willfully ignorant in the face of favts. Sharpies his world when reality shows him incorrect. Dodged the draft then had the gall to malign war hero John McCain because he got caught (He ignored that he could have gone home bt STAYED until all the men went home.
Trump tried to belittle this man because he disagreed politically.
This is d-bagery at it’s highest form, and this list could go on and on.
He, as a man, is despicable to me, a veteran of 2 wars.
I want someone more presidential. He’s not the only republican who can keep an inherited strong economy strong.
> How about you come up with something positive to say first
Okay, I’ll go first. Let’s discuss legislation passed by Trump that helps American families. Yup, let’s see… hmmmm… well… uhhhh… ummm.. there’s the tax cuts for billionaires and corporations that’s ballooning the deficit.
Uhhh….. that’s it, isn’t it?
Positive? I got it! He’s really talented with Sharpies!
Positive?
Most obvious cheater in presidential history! I mean, come-on… porno women?
Also, only president who is the same age as his mother-in-law.
Positive!
@totally positive….
letās nit forget Clinton was having sex/ cigars with a very young woman in the peopleās house that he shared with his wife. Then tried to lie .
I guess that was okay.
> letās nit forget Clinton was having sex/ cigars with a very young woman in the peopleās house that he shared with his wife.
You are telling totolly that Clinton was bad?
Trump, the guy who admitted on videotape that he sexually assualts women by grabbing their (you know what) was:
– buying a porno girl (he couldn’t even talk her into it)
– she’s a third of his age, and spanked him with a magazine
– while his 3rd wife was pregnant
– then had his lawyer break laws
– paying her another $230,000
– in order to keep the porno girl from talking prior to the election
That’s your guy?!?!?
Let’s “nit” forget! So what positive things can you say about a guy who admits such sleazy behavior?
One of the protest signs showed images of presidents Washington and Trump, with the words, “could not tell a lie,” and “cannot tell the truth.” To the Trump supporters in this thread, how do you condone that character flaw?
@Waldo
President Trump has character flaws, just like everyone, even you. Unfortunately, you seem to think he has nothing else. Personally, I think leaving an entire diplomatic mission abandoned under fire is worse, but you are welcome to think differently.
How about you come up with something positive to say first, then we can discuss the rest? Until then, I have to believe you haven’t looked at anything other than a very narrow view.
@ psr
Here’s a positive statement, of sorts. Mr. Trump’s is amazingly cunning. He is among the best, really. Lots of people are saying it. Studies prove it. Really, he is incredible.