OXNARD, Calif. — “Yesterday in San Diego, I had the opportunity to—”

Before Hillary Clinton could finish the sentence, or even mention the speech, the crowd in Culver City cut her off with cheers. Later that day, in Westminster, it happened again. And again in Santa Ana. And again in San Bernardino.

By the time she arrived here on Saturday in Oxnard, Calif. — her ninth stop since delivering Thursday’s major foreign policy address against Donald Trump — she seemed ready for the spontaneous applause that filled the gym at Hueneme High. As she spoke, a handmade sign popped up from the crowd: “Madam President,” it read in thick red and black sharpie. “We were proud of your speech in S.D.”

In the days since San Diego, aides and supporters have said they see the speech “breaking through the noise,” as one put it — and resonating on the trail to a degree Clinton hasn’t seen in past efforts to draw sustained attention to Trump’s failed businesses, for instance, or to his comments about profiting from the housing crisis.

Clinton and her aides were particularly gratified to see voters respond with recognition to the speech across California, where she and her husband are on a five-day breakneck schedule of roughly 40 combined events and retail stops.
When the audience in Westminster erupted into applause at mention of the speech, a surprised smile spread across Clinton’s face. “Thank you! Well, thank you,” she exclaimed. “I appreciate your paying attention, maybe watching it online.”