Orange County Register: Was Trump’s trip to California a sign of things to come?

This editorial is from the Orange County Register:

President Donald Trump’s first visit to California was uncharacteristically low-key. The trip, centered around a daylong swing through Los Angeles, didn’t involve any big rallies, and it triggered only relatively modest protests.

But it did clue Californians and Americans in to what’s preoccupying their president right now.

Careful Trump watchers don’t extrapolate too much from Trump’s every move, but in this case, his L.A. visit speaks to two big priorities. First, Trump needs to show his base voters a more moderate side while not alienating them. Second, he needs to remain in the good graces of his big-business allies, especially those who aren’t movement conservatives.

The first of these priorities was on display in San Diego, where Trump rather quietly sized up border wall prototypes. Building “the wall” along the border with Mexico was a core campaign promise for Trump - one that fired up the base by seeming to punch through the prevarications of America’s messy immigration policies with a clear, commanding plan. But “the wall” has become a convoluted and uncertain prospect.

Trump wants his base happy, but too much excitement could hurt him politically, especially if the Democrats make big gains in the midterm elections. So he checked the box in San Diego and zipped through L.A. without throwing any red meat to his local fans.

Instead, he spent the bulk of his energy in L.A. on a sizable but very exclusive fundraising event in Beverly Hills, hosted by fellow real estate mogul Ed Glazer. With GOP party officials on hand, Trump raked in donations that topped out at $250,000, presumably from supporters who aren’t coming from the same place ideologically as his populist base.

It seems the mogul in Trump will never quite be eclipsed by the populist. But beyond the matter of his personal disposition and self-image, his fundraiser underscored that he needs more established, less ideological supporters - particularly, again, if Democrats clean up come November.

Although California will have to wait for a visit more in keeping with Trump’s signature style - or perhaps hope to be spared such bluster-filled spectacles - his brief itinerary possibly shows a new, more presidential demeanor to come in the next three years.