Trump may be loathed in California, but he continues to reshape its politics

President Trump is wildly unpopular in California, but it’s hard to dispute how much his election, and his first year in office, have reshaped California politics.

It starts a game of political musical chairs. If Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 election, few people would be talking up freshman Sen. Kamala Harris as a Democratic candidate for president in 2020. Senior Sen. Dianne Feinstein likely would be enjoying another cakewalk to re-election. Instead, a prominent fellow Democrat, state Sen. Kevin de León of Los Angeles, is challenging her, saying she hasn’t been tough enough on Trump.