WeHo dusts off boxing gloves as Trump heads back to White House

West Hollywood City Council is preparing to revisit its “resist” strategy from President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, anticipating conflict with his incoming administration. The proposed actions center around reaffirming the city’s progressive values and creating a framework to respond to federal policies they expect will clash with those principles.

Here’s what’s on the table:

1. Reaffirm the city’s core values, which focus on respect, inclusion, and supporting vulnerable groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and women.
2. Reestablish a staff working group to monitor and respond to federal policies inconsistent with those values.
3. Authorize the mayor or city manager to issue statements and send letters opposing such policies or appointments.
4. Permit the city attorney to join legal challenges as a “friend of the court” against federal actions deemed contrary to the city’s priorities.
5. Develop new programs or services if federal support for existing ones is reduced or eliminated.

This isn’t exactly new territory. West Hollywood took similar steps after Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, creating a working group that issued public statements, joined lawsuits, and established a “Resist” webpage. The city has long prided itself on being a champion for progressive causes like LGBTQ+ rights, social justice, reproductive freedom, and climate action. With more than 40 percent of its population identifying as LGBTQ+, West Hollywood frames itself as a sanctuary for marginalized groups.

However, the language in this proposal suggests the city isn’t just preparing for potential conflicts — it’s all but assuming they’ll happen. The staff analysis even refers to “outrageous beliefs” held by Trump and his allies, predicting “more of the same, if not worse” than his first term. It’s a bold stance, especially given that no specific policies have been announced yet by the incoming administration.

The proposal acknowledges that these efforts will require significant time and resources, though it’s described as having a “medium” impact on staff workloads. City officials plan to collaborate with state-level resistance efforts — California has a history of filing lawsuits against Trump policies — and to quickly respond to developments at the federal level.

Whether this is proactive governance or premature alarmism depends largely on one’s political perspective. For now, West Hollywood is making it clear that it intends to stand firm on its values and position itself as a leading voice of opposition to the Trump administration.