With President Trump visiting California on Tuesday, a White House aide set media tongues a’wagging when he called the Democrat-run state “occupied territory.”

Joe Grogan, an assistant to the president and Director of the Domestic Policy Council, tweeted: “Just landed in California. POTUS power swing through occupied territory. ”

Just landed in California. POTUS power swing through occupied territory. ⁦ https://t.co/3juICy6NHN — Joe Grogan (@joegrogan45) February 19, 2020

Not that some Golden State residents don’t concur with the assessment, as seen in a reply to the tweet.

“I’m from California and yes, I feel like I’m living in occupied territory,” the post said. “When you can’t even have a political conversation cause some baby killing Democrat might attack you. Ya, it feels like a war about to happen.”

I’m from California and yes, I feel like I’m living in occupied territory. When you can’t even have a political conversation cause some baby killing Democrat might attack you. Ya, it feels like a war about to happen. — Rachel Godden (@Roo_G75) February 19, 2020

California is home to the president’s leading Democrat antagonists trying their best to remove him from office, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

On that note, Politico called California the “State of Resistance” in reporting ahead of Trump’s trip.

“For the first time since his California-bashing State of the Union address, President Donald Trump is returning to the State of Resistance today. As always, his reception will vary wildly,” the article began.

As he was set to meet with members of the LA 2028 Olympic Committee, Trump was critical of the homeless problem in Los Angeles, saying if the city doesn’t “clean it up fast” the feds will.

“If they can’t do it themselves, we’re going to do it,” he said. “The federal government is going to take it over, we’re going to do it.”

Trump also took a shot at the mayor of Los Angeles, which is a sanctuary city, in a sanctuary state.

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti took the extraordinary step of counseling criminal aliens on how to dodge immigration authorities, in response to the administration announcing last week that Border Patrol tactical units will target 10 sanctuary cities — to include Los Angeles — that limit cooperation with immigration enforcement authorities.

“The Mayor’s efforts to shield illegal aliens endangers the lives of the public and law enforcement who have to go into the field to apprehend those released. He shouldn’t be urging illegals to beat the system, he should be urging them to safely turn themselves in!” the president tweeted Tuesday.

The Mayor’s efforts to shield illegal aliens endangers the lives of the public and law enforcement who have to go into the field to apprehend those released. He shouldn’t be urging illegals to beat the system, he should be urging them to safely turn themselves in! https://t.co/sSJodorcVr — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2020

It’s expected that the media and an ever-shrinking cabal of Never Trump Republican would feign outrage and blow things out of proportion — they can compare Trump to Adolph Hitler and that’s considered a rational assessment.

But an interesting critic of the “occupied territory” remark was Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

Taking to Twitter, she blasted the aide for using the phrase.

“The president’s team won’t make any real in-roads in California by insulting its electorate. Using phrases like “occupied territory” is supremely unhelpful—and just plain stupid. Focus should be on policies that work,” Ingraham tweeted.

The president’s team won’t make any real in-roads in California by insulting its electorate. Using phrases like “occupied territory” is supremely unhelpful—and just plain stupid. Focus should be on policies that work. — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) February 19, 2020

Again, it was Californian pushing back, describing the phrase as a “refreshing” dose of honesty.

“Actually as a lifelong resident of California, I can tell you that hearing the president describe the craven despotism we live under in honest terms is very refreshing,” read the tweet.

Actually as a lifelong resident of California, I can tell you that hearing the president describe the craven despotism we live under in honest terms is very refreshing. — Ryan Seven (@RyanSeven) February 19, 2020

Turns out, the sentiment expressed in the tweet was shared by quite a few others who live in the state — here’s a quick sampling from Twitter:

We are occupied. It’s terrible what they’ve done here. That’s why I preparing to leave later this year. California is a lost cause — Deplorable Latino (@boshine9) February 19, 2020

Lived there for 30+ years. It IS occupied. Illegal aliens & wacky leftists are THE priority for Sacramento. Trump is right. Maybe he won’t get the liberals to vote for him. But he will get the millions of fatigued GOP voters, who usually stay home, to show up. — London ❌?????? (@londonlaine) February 19, 2020

Sorry Laura but I must disagree with you. The people who hate Trump here in California will NEVER be persuaded to change their minds no matter how nice they are talked to. And if you were out in our communities (70 years for me) you would know this is occupied territory. — Greg Horton (@sgtpelon) February 19, 2020