California calls for a “Calexit” following Trump win

Global Business

Students protest immigration policy in response to the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States in Berkeley, California, U.S. November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

While the U.S. presidential election is over, it’s clear some hard feelings remain.

Despite losing, Hillary Clinton did win the popular vote. And in the state of California, she fared especially well, winning votes over Donald Trump by a margin of three to one.

That has helped fuel more enthusiasm for a movement among some Californians to break away. CCTV America’s Mark Niu reports.

From San Diego to Los Angeles to Berkeley, much of California is furious over who will soon be running the nation’s highest office.

Protest are occurring across California on a daily basis, like here in San Rafael, California, where high school students are letting their voices be heard. But many people are also taking their message online.

Playing off the term Brexit and the term ‘Calexit’ has taken social media by storm.

Jason Wright is a coordinator for Yes, California, which came up with the Calexit slogan months before the election.

Yes, California has for several years campaigned for the state to non-violently secede from the United States.

It claims California’s electoral votes haven’t truly affected a presidential election since 1876, and that it disproportionately subsidizes the military budget while the federal government controls its natural resources. And, it said, California just thinks differently.

Calexit’s strategy is to get a million signatures within six months to create a ballot initiative for 2018 that would allow for a state-wide referendum on the issue in 2019.

Historian Glen Gendzel believes even if California voted for independence, it would neither be desirable nor actually happen.


Glen Gendzel answers what would happen if California voted for independence in a referendum

Glen Gendzel, Professor and Chair of History Department of San Jose State University answers what would happen if California voted for independence in a referendum.

 


Jason Wright on why he feels California is unfairly represented in the electoral college

Jason Wright, San Francisco Bay Area Coordinator, Yes California on why he feels California is unfairly represented in the electoral college and should seek independence.