At the heart of the California Democratic Party’s state convention on Saturday, one of the most unexpected moments wasn’t a policy speech or a pledge for tax reform, it was a message scrawled in bold letters and held high.
Former U.S. Representative Katie Porter strode on stage clutching a sign that read “F— Trump,” a phrase that has recently popped up in political rallies and online as a blunt expression of disapproval toward President Donald Trump and his policies.
Porter, who is vying for her party’s nomination in the crowded race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom, used her signature campaign style, part policy, part performance to turn heads and stoke passion among delegates. Even as some in her party openly bristled at the unfiltered language, Porter doubled down on the message of resistance.
“I’ll stand up to Trump and his cronies just like I did in Congress,” Porter said from the convention stage. “But this election for governor is about far more than defeating Trump.”
Aside from the provocative sign, Porter also outlined a bold agenda aimed at reshaping California’s future: universal health care, free childcare, free tuition at public universities, and an overhaul of the tax code aimed at easing the burden on middle-income families, though she offered few details on how those initiatives would be funded.
Porter’s theatrics underscored broader tensions within the state Democratic Party, where candidates are struggling to balance fierce opposition to the current White House with pragmatic solutions to rising housing costs, aging infrastructure, and an affordability crisis that has pushed everyday living costs out of reach for many Californians. Delegates left the convention with no clear consensus, and no single candidate yet claiming the party’s endorsement.
