California Democratic party chairman says 'F*** Donald Trump' in speech
Outgoing head John Burton gives forthright farewell
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The chairman of the California Democratic Party signed off his term in office by sticking up a middle finger and proclaiming “F*** Donald Trump”.
Outgoing boss John Burton, described by the Los Angeles Times as “a fixture in state Democratic politics for half a century”, grinned as supporters on stage at the party's convention joined him in the gesture.
The party's leaders blasted alleged ties to Russia among Mr Trump's associates and presented California as the epicentre of liberal resistance to the President.
“The world, literally the world, is counting on all of you, counting on California to reject Trump's deception and destructiveness,” said Lt Gov Gavin Newsom, who is among a crowded field of Democrats running for governor next year.
US Senator Kamala Harris, often mentioned as a potential candidate for president in 2020, accused Mr Trump of putting “Russia first, America second”.
The convention comes less than a week after the US Justice Department appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during last year's election — a charge Trump has vehemently denied and called a “witch hunt”.
California Republican Party chairman Jim Brulte said Democrats were focused on Mr Trump to avoid talking about their own policies, including a recent decision to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees to pay for road improvements.
“Democrats own California and they broke it,” Brulte said in a statement. “They don't want to talk about their record in California which is why they want California voters to focus solely on President Trump.”
Additional reporting by agencies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments