Former President Donald Trump staged a rally in deep-blue California, a surprising move as he navigates the final stretch of a tight presidential race.

The Saturday night event near the Coachella Valley—famous for its annual music festival—occurred just 22 days before the November 5 election. Typically, this period is reserved for visits to battleground states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada.

Trump’s decision to campaign in California, a Democratic stronghold expected to overwhelmingly support Vice President Kamala Harris, is particularly notable. Harris, who has strong ties to the state as a former attorney general and district attorney of San Francisco, enjoys significant popularity. In the last presidential election, Trump lost California to Democrat Joe Biden by nearly 30 percentage points.

At the rally, Trump claimed, “The radical left Democrats have destroyed this state, but we are going to save it, and we’re going to make it better than ever.” He added, “You definitely had somebody here that was horrible, Kamala. And now she wants to destroy our country.”

He then reiterated familiar talking points, focusing on misleading claims regarding migrant crime, labeling migration as the number-one issue of the election, despite polls indicating that the economy is top-of-mind for most voters.

The visit is viewed as an effort to bolster Republican support in California, particularly in six key House races. Control of both the House and Senate is at stake this election season, and these congressional districts are closely contested between Republicans and Democrats. Winning these races could help Republicans maintain their majority in the House.

By campaigning in California, Trump aims to galvanize his supporters in a state with nearly 40 million residents. Tim Lineberger, a former communications director for Trump’s 2016 campaign, noted, “He’s coming here and activating that.”

The rally may also serve to enhance Trump’s overall vote count. While the U.S. presidential election is decided by the Electoral College, a candidate can lose the popular vote yet still win the presidency, as Trump did in 2016. Having never won the popular vote remains a sore point for him. Former California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte stated, “I believe Donald Trump is coming to California because he wants to win not only in the Electoral College, but he wants to win the popular vote.”

Trump’s California visit is strategically placed between stops in Nevada and Arizona, both key battlegrounds. In Nevada, he participated in a roundtable with Latino voters, seeking to capitalize on a trend showing Latino men drifting away from Democrats.

Meanwhile, Harris was in North Carolina, focusing on recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. She emphasized her commitment to promoting her plan for an “opportunity economy” and engaging with Black community leaders. Harris also took the opportunity to release her health exam results, affirming her fitness for the presidency, contrasting with Trump, who has not disclosed similar information.

Harris criticized Trump’s lack of transparency, suggesting that his team does not want the public to see if he is fit for the presidency. In response, Trump’s campaign maintained that he has voluntarily released updates from his doctors, asserting he is in “perfect and excellent health” and arguing that Harris lacks Trump’s stamina.