UPDATED, 8:24 am: President Donald Trump ends his brief visit to Los Angeles this morning with a ride from downtown to Dodger Stadium, where a helicopter will fly him to LAX to depart on Air Force One.
Beverly Hills on Wednesday
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Trump, who made his first trip to California yesterday since becoming president, will have spent less than 24 hours in the state while on his way to St. Louis at around 9:10 a.m. PT to attend a roundtable discussion on tax cuts and tax reforms. While in Southern California, he inspected border wall prototypes in San Diego and participated in a GOP fundraiser in Beverly Hills, with multiple protests in the two cities.
The White House said Trump will be leaving his hotel, the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown, at 8:30 a.m. for Dodger Stadium. The LAPD has closed a wide area of the street on the route and is warning that the closure will last until 1:00 p.m. PT today.
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Do you have to be in the #DTLA area tomorrow? Plan ahead and expect additional traffic due to road closures by 1pm.
– Figueroa St. between 8th St. and 6th St.
– Wilshire Blvd. between Flower St. & Beaudry Ave.
– 7th St. between Flower St & Bixel St. pic.twitter.com/Jd70nnGDcK
– LAPD Headquarters (@LAPDHQ) March 14, 2018
PREVIOUS, Wednesday PM: Donald Trump’s first trip to California since his election as president has been kept secret – at least that part of Los Angeles. But commuters this morning, especially downtown, got a firsthand glimpse, and traffic growled thanks to planned road closures and detours before arriving this afternoon.
The Los Angeles Police Department released this amended traffic notice this afternoon:
“According to the Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles Police Department, downtown Los Angeles is extremely congested due to the President’s visit. If possible, avoid the area bounded by 5th Street to the north, Olympic Boulevard to the south, Union Avenue to the west, and Grand Avenue to the east. “
At least two protests and rallies are planned in different locations today. The organizers plan their plans based on expectations of where and when Trump will be around. The first is an “unwanted rally” at Santa Monica Airport, where Trump’s Marine One helicopter landed at 3:53 pm. Air Force One landed in LAX at 3:32 p.m.
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A major Trump Not Welcome to LA rally is planned for Beverly Gardens Park, possibly on Trump’s drive-by route. The protest’s Facebook page currently lists the start time as 5:00 p.m., although the president’s plans were so little publicized that the rally start time on the page was changed later in the day.
Both rallies are organized on Facebook and other social media among a coalition of activist groups including California for Progress, Drain the NRA, La Raza Unida, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, and others. Separate protests could emerge as Trump’s itinerary becomes clearer.
Air Force One landed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego at 11:23 a.m. local time today to begin the visit. The LAPD’s road closure plan is tight downtown, especially near the Wilshire Grand Hotel, which announced tenants and guests today that a highly secure VIP was expected at the hotel, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The LAPD said it will close Figueroa Street between 6th and 8th streets from 1:00 p.m. PT; Wilshire Boulevard between Flower Street and Beaudry Avenue; and 7th Street between Flower Street and Bixel Street – all near the hotel.
The White House released few details about the LA portion of the trip – even the LAPD had to send out a press release yesterday in which it couldn’t say much. But Trump will be attending a GOP fundraiser at the Beverly Hills home of Shari and Edward Glazer, the owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, later that day.
Pool reports cite aides who said they were unaware of visits to elected officials in California – a rarity when POTUS visits a state. California largely voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, with Trump receiving just 31.5% of the vote. The Trump administration and California officials have argued repeatedly over immigration issues, and last week the Justice Department even sued the state.
Trump speaks about sanctuary politics and border wall prototype inspection before heading to LA during his visit to San Diego
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