President Trump took time on Memorial Day to remember Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox — his choice for California governor.
Ten days after first endorsing the 62-year-old Republican, Trump tweeted another show of support.
“California has a rare opportunity to turn things around and solve its high crime, high tax, problems – along with so many others,” Trump said in an afternoon tweet.
California has a rare opportunity to turn things around and solve its high crime, high tax, problems – along with so many others. On June 5th., vote for GOP Gubernatorial Candidate JOHN COX, a really good and highly competent man. He’ll Make California Great Again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2018
With errant punctuation, his account added:
“On June 5th., vote for GOP Gubernatorial Candidate JOHN COX, a really good and highly competent man. He’ll Make California Great Again!”
By 4:30 p.m., the message had been liked 32,000 times and retweeted 8,400 times.
Cox took note of the president’s favor, saying he was proud to have Trump’s support.
End the Sanctuary State, Repeal the Gas Tax & Stop the crazy train – Proud to have @realDonaldTrump’s support. Let’s Make CA Great Again https://t.co/69RYZjDj0g
— JohnHCox (@TheRealJohnHCox) May 28, 2018
Cox also appeared Monday afternoon at holiday ceremonies at Mount Soledad in San Diego, where he sat in the audience.
On Sunday, Cox’s Republican rival — Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach — spoke to supporters at a border rally, where he scoffed at Trump’s endorsement of Cox.
Allen told a crowd of 120: “There’s been a lot of talk in this race about who the president has endorsed and all these things. But I’ll tell you very clearly: Who the president has endorsed is standing right in front of you right now, right here,” referring to the crowd.
“These are all the people who put the president into office. These are all the Californians who just want to take their state back.”
Allen’s supporters chimed in, responding to Trump’s tweet:
Sorry we have have to disagree this time.. John Cox is like John McCain only worse.. He didn’t even serve in the military. He will only be a pawn for the Democrats..Travis Allen is THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE that will honor your policies you set forth
— MagaCitizenCA (@MAGAmovementCA) May 28, 2018
Couldn’t disagree more! Low Energy John Cox is a disgrace and should drop out now before we have 2 democrats to pick from in the general election. John Cox has never won an election he’s run for. I’m voting @JoinTravisAllen on June 5th.
— Jason Neumann (@jpnyafbk) May 28, 2018
The latest polls tracked by Real Clear Politics show Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the San Francisco Democrat, leading runner-up Cox by 8 or 16 percentage points.
In the Emerson poll, Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa is third. In a Survey USA poll, Villaraigosa is fifth — behind Newsom, Cox, Allen and Democrat John Chiang.
Cox is receiving 39 percent of the Trump vote from 2016, said the Emerson College ePoll conducted May 21-24 under the supervision of Professor Spencer Kimball, “while his Republican counterpart Travis Allen receives 19 percent of the Trump vote.”
Survey USA said Cox is backed by 42 percent of Republicans, 46 percent of conservatives and 22 percent of white voters.
“Cox does twice as well among suburban men as among suburban women,” said the statewide poll conducted for KABC-TV in Los Angeles, KPIX-TV in San Francisco, KGTV-TV in San Diego, The San Diego Union Tribune and KFSN-TV in Fresno. “He runs stronger in the Inland Empire and the Central Valley than he does in the metropolitan centers of greater Los Angeles and greater San Francisco.”