By Nandita Bose
(Reuters) – President Joe Biden will attend a glitzy fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday with high Hollywood celebrities and former President Barack Obama, amid Democratic nervousness over opponent Donald Trump’s rising fundraising clout.
Late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel will interview Biden and Obama and Hollywood celebrities George Clooney and Julia Roberts are friends, within the newest star-studded occasion Biden’s marketing campaign hopes exhibits energy and momentum regardless of Biden’s low approval rankings and issues about his age.
The Biden marketing campaign is hoping to repeat the thrill it generated with a March occasion in New York Metropolis the place Stephen Colbert hosted Biden, Obama and Invoice Clinton for an occasion that raised $26 million. The highest-ticket bundle for the LA occasion prices $500,000, marketing campaign officers mentioned.
“This can be one of many largest fundraisers we have had,” mentioned Ajay Jain Bhutoria, deputy finance chair on the Democratic Nationwide Committee. “We predict an unprecedented turnout from the enterntainment business,” he mentioned.
In current weeks, Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame made a White Home briefing room look to reward the president, Robert DeNiro confirmed up in decrease Manhattan for a press convention on the Biden marketing campaign’s behest and Steven Spielberg has been serving to the Biden campign with storytelling.
Actor Michael Douglas held a fundraiser for the president and artists Queen Latifah, Lenny Kravitz, Lizzo, James Taylor, Christina Aguilera and Barbra Streisand have all carried out to assist Biden elevate cash.
A high marketing campaign supply mentioned the fundraising at Saturday’s occasion in Los Angeles is predicted to be decrease than New York. The supply didn’t share further particulars. The Biden marketing campaign didn’t touch upon funds they anticipated to lift from the occasion.
Biden marketing campaign’s fundraising in April lagged Trump’s for the primary time, after the previous president ramped up his joint operation with the Republican Nationwide Committee and headlined high-dollar fundraisers.
Democrats nonetheless maintained an total money benefit over Trump and the Biden marketing campaign continues to have a significantly bigger conflict chest.
Biden and Trump are tied in nationwide polls with lower than 5 months to go earlier than the Nov. 5 election, whereas Trump has the sting within the battleground states that may determine the election, current polls present. On financial points like inflation, Trump scores increased with voters total than Biden.
Democrats have lengthy counted on the liberal Los Angeles space as a wealthy supply of monetary backing. Republicans usually decry Democrats nationwide as funded by Hollywood elites and California liberals.
However the state’s donors bankroll presidential campaigns on either side of the aisle. Biden and Trump have each raised extra within the state for his or her reelection bids than wherever else, based on fundraising disclosures filed with the Federal Election Fee.
Biden raised $24 million by April 30 in California, and Trump $11.7 million, based on the Federal Election Fee.
The president was largely unable to host high-dollar Hollywood fundraisers for a lot of 2023 due to business strikes. However since they had been resolved, Biden has headlined a number of fundraisers within the state, together with one in December the place high tickets approached $1 million.