West Hollywood is seen by some as a bastion of opposition to most of what Donald Trump is trying to accomplish. But some of its residents, particularly in the Russian-speaking community, are supporting him.
The most recently publicized example is Julia Gran, a native of Moscow who lives on Westbourne Drive. Gran recently was called out by ThinkProgress.org, a left-of-center news website, for creating a fund registered with the Federal Elections Commission that apparently will be raising money to support Trump and combat allegations that the Russian government meddled in the 2016 presidential election to help him win. Allegations about collusion between members of Trump’s family and staff and Russian officials are the subject of an investigation by Robert Mueller, a special counsel appointed by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
In its story today, Think Progress reports that the new website for Gran’s “Taking America Back Again” fund is asking for donations of $5 or more to “’Help Stop the Fake Russia WITCH HUNT’ against Donald Trump.“ The Think Progress story says that the TakingAmericaBackFund.com website claims “that ‘loser Democrats’ and ‘establishment Republicans’ have it out for Trump and are trying to stop his agenda …. (and) asks for donations to somehow put a stop to “the Russia witch hunt.’”
The website currently is inactive. While neither Think Progress nor WEHOville has been able to get a response from Gran, Think Progress reported that Jessica Oakes of the Taking America Back Fund emailed it on Tuesday to say the site is down temporarily while it is being developed and that the fund is “in the process of setting up the organization and … not ready to speak with the press” and would send out a press release within the next 90 days.
Gran is controller for the Culver City-based Power Property Management. A profile of her on the website says that after graduating from Moscow Plekhanov College of Economics Science, Gran immigrated to the United States in 1990.
A story in the Jewish Journal noted that many Russian-speaking immigrants voted for Donald Trump and expressed support for Vladimir Putin, the Russsian president whom Trump has publicly admired.
“There are numerous reasons cited by members of the Russian Jewish community for supporting Trump and his policies,” said the Jewish Journal story, which included interviews with Russian-speaking West Hollywood residents. “Many Russian-speaking Jews welcomed Trump’s anti-immigration promises, despite being immigrants or the descendants of recent immigrants.”
The story quoted Robert English, director of the USC School of International Relations, explaining what Russian-speaking immigrants support Trump.
“They see themselves as sort of naturally Americans,” he said. “They are white people and they are from the big country that occupies a whole continent, a former superpower. They look at Latinos, Asians and Muslims and see people who don’t really belong here.”
A decision by the Russian-speaking community in May to add the “Immortal Regiment March” to its annual Victory in Europe celebration drew criticism from some members of the Russian-speaking community who argued that the march was being used by Putin to promote himself. A few of those participating in the march did wear t-shirts with Putin’s image on them.
Tatiana Rodzinek, City Hall’s liaison to WeHo’s Russian Advisory Board, disputed the Putin claim in an email to City Council members. “The movement is beyond politics,” she wrote. “All over the globe, these events are organized by Russian-speaking people, who highlight the importance of the campaign against certain forces that try to rewrite history and distort facts relating to the war.”
@jj you have me confused with someone else….i NEVER said love not hate.
@Jake Lee – so then you’re not denying that Trump has a racist and fascist agenda? You’re just saying that if the Democrats do, then it’s okay? Sadly, that always seems to be the Trump defense: Point out someone else’s potentially bad behavior as justification for his own. That’s a great example to lead by…
SE, here is a great example of racism from the Democrats: “We can’t curb illegal immigration, who will pick our fruit”?- Dianne Feinstein. This implies that 1. Only Hispanics are illegal immigrants and 2. All they are good for is to pick our fruit and clean our hotel rooms. RE: “Fascism”. The group that has consistantly displayed this has been the Left in shutting down and suppression of free speech at every college campus.
Jimmy Palmieri – what happened to LOVE NOT HATE? You sound like Archie Bunker.
Why are any of us pretending that Trump supporters are “conservatives” or even “Republicans”. They are extremists who wish to subvert equality and democracy to promote a racist, fascist agenda. That is hardly conservative or Republican. There, I said it…and I am well aware that I will never convince any Trump supporter that this is what they are actually supporting because most racists and fascists don’t even know that’s what they are!
For lots of people being gay means nothing more than with whom they prefer to have sex. Their identity as gay stops right there. The entire rest of their lives might be very conventional. They may have far more concern with national defense, the economy, fewer regulations on business, education, and generally a smaller and more efficient government than in the political agendas of groups, about which they may not care much one way or the other. Unless, the success of those groups also threatens those other issues about which they feel very strongly. There are a bunch of people… Read more »
collusion a very debatable subject–it seems like they would collude if they thought it would help them and if the russians in fact were providing them with helpful info–although they prob would like collude it lkl nt happen because no help was actually delivered directly?????–if julia gran is reading i am frm russia spk russian desperately need vital legal help hghly unlikely to be had for free will try send email to political solutions address on google to julia–help desperately needed
can we get group rates to send them back to mother russia ?if it is s good there….get the hell out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nyet. Try putting a Trump sticker on your vehicle in West Hollywood overnight. Tell us how you feel in the morning. Also, try telling any if your co-workers that you are a Conservative. Tell us how you feel the next day in the unemployment line…..
Love all of these “conservatives” (gay or straight) who spout their BS while living in the comfort of a liberal city in a liberal state. Go be a Russian immigrant or gay Republican in Kentucky or Kansas and let me know how that works out for you. The same goes for all of the conservative media types who live in Manhattan. You’d think they would all be moving to the South in droves to live among like thinkers while enjoying the benefits of low taxes.
I applaud Julia Gran. Many of us living in West Hollywood support Trump. We find the elitist Democrat party reflected in the pay for play scams of local politicians relationship with developers abhorrent along with the attitudes of liberals toward Mother Russia.
Slav’sya, strana! My gordimsya toboy!
@ Jake Lee: no one came MAKE you feel a certain way. One’s own demeanor with others regardless of their beliefs invites respect or doesn’t depending on one’s own actions. An old adage: Look at your doormat, see what it says and who you are attracting.” It’s often the last place folks look….if ever.