To say that Donald Trump outperformed expectations in San Francisco isn’t saying much. In November, he received 16% of the vote in the city, versus Kamala Harris’ 80%.
On the eve of Trump’s inauguration, however, a small but fervent group of San Franciscans is preparing to celebrate — and feeling vindicated.
The city’s Republican landscape consists of a handful of active organizations, including the official San Francisco Republican Party, the Briones Society, the Republican Club of San Francisco, and local chapters of the California Republican Assembly. There’s also the Log Cabin Republicans, which focuses on LGBT rights, the SF State College Republicans, and the SF Young Republicans.
Some Trump loyalists are hoping to make an impact in local politics, while others could wield considerable power as appointees in his administration.
Here’s a look at Trump’s biggest San Francisco fans.
Joan Leone
Sitting in a coffee shop in San Francisco, the leader of the Republican Club of San Francisco can barely contain her excitement when talking about Trump’s inauguration.
“[I am] absolutely elated,” Leone says. “His values have always been right. He loves America, and he loves our people.”
As leader of the club, which has about 250 members, Leone focuses on organizing social events and hosting prominent right-wing speakers to promote the party’s values and agenda.
On inauguration day, Leone and her club members plan to join Marin County Republicans for a celebration. She expects to see economic growth, stability, and increased efficiency from Trump’s second term. During the campaign, some of her fellow Republicans traveled to swing states to phone-bank and knock on doors for Trump.
Leone said she’s never felt marginalized as a Republican in San Francisco: “All my friends are Republicans.”
Sau Wing Lam
To most election forecasters, Trump’s election odds were at best a toss-up. But Lam was convinced the former president was headed for reelection as soon as he survived a July assassination attempt. Speaking in Cantonese, Lam, a financial advisor and TV personality in the local Chinese American community, called that event a “miracle” (神迹).
As Asian American voters have shifted to the right, Lam has emerged as a leading voice for Trumpers in the Bay Area. During the presidential campaign, Lam, representing the right-wing perspective, debated a progressive Chinese American Democrat on Chinese television.
“Of course, I’m very excited, and I’ve been quite confident about Trump’s win,” Lam told The Standard.
He attributes the Republicans’ decisive victory to fatigue with what he calls radical left-wing politics.
“After this four-year term, I believe Trump will become one of America’s greatest presidents,” Lam predicted.
Although he applauds Mayor Daniel Lurie’s victory as a “centrist turn” in San Francisco politics, Lam still describes the heavily Democratic city as an “enemy-occupied area” (沦陷区).
Daniel Goodwyn
San Francisco’s local Republican Party is trending more moderate, with a newly elected chair who has voted for Democrats in mayoral elections.
However, a far-right faction is seeing leadership emerge to reverse the trend. Goodwyn, a self-proclaimed Proud Boy who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, leads the newly formed San Francisco chapter of the California Republican Assembly. Goodwyn has pledged to push the local Republican Party rightward.
Goodwyn couldn’t be reached for comment. He has recently posted on social media about celebrating Trump’s inauguration in Sacramento and requested a pardon and “exoneration on Day One.”
Harmeet Dhillon
Although Republicans may lack local influence, Trump has appointed two San Franciscans to prominent positions in his administration.
Dhillon, an attorney, has been nominated as assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice. She served as a legal advisor to Trump’s 2020 campaign and co-chaired Women for Trump. Her nomination requires approval from the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.
Dhillon couldn’t be reached for comment, but her right-wing politics have been on display in a series of high-profile local and national lawsuits, including fighting against Covid restrictions and threatening legal action over admission changes at San Francisco’s Lowell High School. She’s known as a combative “anti-woke” activist and is expected to fight the practice of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
David Sacks
Perhaps the most notable San Franciscan in Trump’s administration is Sacks, a well-known venture capitalist and podcaster, who will serve as the White House’s artificial intelligence and crypto czar. Over the summer, Sacks hosted a Trump campaign fundraiser at his Pacific Heights mansion, where tickets for couples reportedly cost $500,000.
According to the Federal Election Commission, Sacks and his wife have donated millions to Republican campaigns over the past few years, including to Trump, the Republican National Committee, and other candidates.
Yvette Corkrean
Some Republicans are ready to travel to Washington to celebrate on Inauguration Day. Corkrean, a Republican County Central Committee member and former candidate for state Senate, is one of them.
Corkrean believes Trump’s administration will have positive downstream effects on San Francisco. She describes herself as a moderate Republican who supports gay marriage and women’s reproductive health and is also fully in support of Trump and the GOP at large.
“I am just going to enjoy my time in D.C.,” she said. “Our country deserves better.”