After six months under Trump, California and L.A. are battlegrounds. Who benefits?

July 21, 2025 6:43 PM PT

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Six months into President Trump’s second term, his predilection for picking on California has never been on fuller display, turning the state broadly and Los Angeles specifically into key battlegrounds for his right-wing agenda.There are chaotic immigration raids occurring across the state and military troops on L.A. streets.

The administration has sued the state or city over sanctuary policies, transgender athletes and the price of eggs. The state has sued the administration more than 30 times, including over funding cuts, voting restrictions and the undoing of birthright citizenship.

Politics California

Kevin Rector

Kevin Rector is a state and national politics reporter for the Los Angeles Times who has also written extensively about police and crime, courts and legal issues and the LGBTQ+ community. Rector has won multiple national awards, including as part of a Baltimore Sun team that won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in local reporting.

Brenda Elizondo

Brenda Elizondo is an audience engagement fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She was previously a video content creator and reporter for L.A. Times Food and De Los, the Latinidad section. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton.