SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - When San Diegan Alicia Rothchild voted for Donald Trump, she knew she was choosing a candidate who would go against her home state.
"Because I felt Trump was the best person for the job," she said. "Nothing is ever black and white."
But when it comes to Trump and California - perhaps it is.
Take recreational marijuana.
California legalizes it New Year's Day. Then, U.S. Attorney general Jeff Sessions creates uncertainty by instructing the Justice Department to enforce federal marijuana laws.
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Or try illegal immigration.
Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill blocking state and local officials from inquiring about immigration status during routine interactions - making it harder for federal immigration enforcement officers to find undocumented residents.
Hector Trujillo, who voted for Hillary Clinton, says California is making him proud.
"It's a leader in a lot of ways, in energy and education, in a lot of things," he said. "Yes, it has its drawbacks, and it's not perfect, but it's a state that has its own independence going back over a century."
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Professor Glenn Smith, who teaches constitutional law at California Western in downtown, says a lot of the back and forth is political - and not necessarily practical.
He says states are powerful, and in complex situations can take action from Congress and the president to intervene.
"Both legally and politically that's often not a course of action that happens quickly or happens with consensus," he said.
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And California can fight back even more.
For instance, Smith says the state has most influence three miles off its shore. Yes, the Trump Administration could authorize drilling beyond that, but California could enact policies to complicate bringing that oil back.
"If Sessions' move is seen as trying to throw practical roadblocks in the way of the marijuana industry, this is through reverse," Smith said.
Rothchild says she'll continue to support trump - she's focusing on his larger agenda.
"My paradigm for thinking is beyond being in that box," she said.
