Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he arrives to speak at a rally Wednesday, June 1, 2016, in Sacramento, Calif.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is campaigning in California this week, even though he does not need to win the party’s primary. The candidate drew thousands to an airport hangar in Sacramento.

The crowd watched in 100-degree heat as the Trump jet landed to the orchestral theme song from the movie Air Force One. Trump told the crowd he’s campaigning to win the general election in California.

"Now everybody said for a Republican to run in California is not going to happen, but I’m sort of different, you know? I’m, like, different," he says.

Nevertheless, California hasn’t voted for a Republican president since 1988, and polls have Clinton winning the state in a hypothetical match-up by double digits.

Republican political analyst Bill Whalen thinks the billionaire may have a different goal this trip.

"California tends not to be in play, but maybe Trump wants to change that, but I think there’s one other value for him, being in California, he is probably making the calculation that he comes out here and there’s going to be a controversy, there is going to be a kerfuffle," he says.

Whalen says his strategy has been to constantly draw free media attention.

"All right get him out of here, folks, get him out of here," he says.

This rally had several moments that could end up on cable news loop, such as the candidate calling for a protestor to be kicked out.

"Do we love these Trump rallies?" he says. "Do we love them? Get him out of here, go ahead, out. Out."

There's his Hillary Clinton impression.

"She’s got like these minor speeches and she’s going, and I saw this a couple of times," he says. "You know, four words. ‘We’re going to win in the north, south, east, and west."

Whalen, the political analyst, says these moments galvanize Trump supporters, such as Dave Nau from Auburn.

"He’s not politically correct and I like that," he says. "He’s like throwing a hand grenade into a room."

Trump travels next to Los Angeles and then San Jose.

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