Behind the scenes of Trump’s Rancho Palos Verdes meeting with the city’s mayor

On Friday morning, Sept. 13, Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank stood at Trump National Golf Club, waiting to speak with the former president about the ongoing landslide that has upended the quality of life in his town.

What he didn’t expect was to speak in front of reporters and photographers during a press conference.

As the time neared for Trump to approach the lectern set up outside, the former president asked Cruikshank if he wanted to join him.

“I thought he meant just go out there and join the crowd,” Cruikshank said. “And all of a sudden, I’m walking out with him.”

The goal, both in meeting with Trump and in making short remarks during the press conference, was for Cruikshank to further publicize the plight of those in the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, who have seen their houses slowly torn apart, and power and gas service shut off.

“All I was expecting,” Cruikshank said, “was that I would debrief him (about the landslides) so that he could talk intelligently if anyone asked him a question.”

Hundreds of residents in Rancho Palos Verdes — and now dozens in neighboring Rolling Hills, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula — are victims of the reactivation of an ancient, slow-creeping landslide 330-feet below the surface.

The mayor joined Trump and his attorney, along with Trump National Golf Club General Manager Lili Amini, in the country club’s restaurant Friday morning, Cruikshank said.

RPV’s mayor, who is a Republican, had about 20 minutes with Trump, the GOP nominee for president. Cruikshank showed Trump the landslide area on a map and explained where it was in relation to Trump National. At some point during the conversation, Trump gifted Cruikshank with a red MAGA hat.

“He signed it right here in front of me,” Cruikshank said, “while eating clam chowder.”

After Cruikshank’s private presentation about the landslide issue, Trump asked him if it were solvable.

“It is,” the mayor said he told Trump, “but we need the Army Corps of Engineers; we need FEMA.”

Trump responded: “If I was president, you would be getting the help you need.”

There were no direct promises of funding, Cruikshank said — private or otherwise.

As for the press conference, Cruikshank consciously went without donning the MAGA hat.

“I wanted to make it as non-partisian as possible,” said the small-city mayor, a position not traditionally elected along party lines.

Cruikshank did run as a Republican against current Supervisor Janice Hahn — though that, too, is a nonpartisan office — during the march primary for the Fourth District, which includes Rancho Palos Verdes.

As the two neared the lectern, Trump asked Cruikshank if he wanted to speak first.

The mayor wasn’t comfortable with that, he said, and demurred while Trump gave a small introduction. After that, Cruikshank pleaded with the national audience for aid and attention.

“The problem is bigger than the city of Rancho Palos Verdes,” Cruikshank said during his three-minute spiel last week, “and so it’s important that we get the attention and the help of the people of California and of the federal government.”

And even though Newsom declared a state of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes earlier this month, the governor has yet to tour the area. Cruikshank and Hahn have both been critical of the state’s response.

Last week, when asked if Newsom plans to visit the landslide area, Daniel Villasenor, a deputy press secretary for the governor, didn’t rule it out.

“We’ll keep you posted on the governor’s travel plans,” he said, “but our focus remains on helping the residents there.”

But help, at least financially, has been slow to arrive.

Hahn agreed to a $5 million request from RPV in February but that money is just arriving in the city’s coffers this week. That’s seven months after the initial pledge.

Cruikshank reiterated Monday he was grateful for the county’s assistance and, he said, he’s hopeful about the state and federal potential for help.

“From our perspective, it was great,” Cruikshank said of Trump’s visit.

The former president was gracious in thanking the public works employees and the city workers who have been working diligently on solving the landslide problem, Cruikshank added.

“I really hope that FEMA can help us,” Cruikshank said.