Biden attends record-breaking, star-studded fundraiser in downtown Los Angeles
President Joe Biden visited downtown Los Angeles Saturday for a star-studded fundraiser featuring Barack Obama, which his campaign says has already broken records as the biggest fundraising event in the history of the Democratic Party.
Biden landed at LAX just after 5 a.m. and attended the event at Peacock Theater, formerly known as the Microsoft Theater. Other attendees included Hollywood supporters like George Clooney, Jimmy Kimmel and Julia Roberts. His campaign said Saturday the fundraiser has already raked in more than $28 million.
Tickets for the event are selling for between $250 and $500,000, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, a co-chair of the Biden 2024 campaign who helped organize the event, said the campaign is looking forward to showing off its support from Hollywood, the Times reported.
"This Saturday, we are going to see an unprecedented and record-setting turnout from the media and entertainment world," Katzenberg said. "We all understand this is the most important election of our lifetime."
Meanwhile, the California Republican Party said Biden's inclusion of the entertainment elite probably wouldn't bode well with some voters.
"Nothing says to struggling Americans, `I understand what you're going through and am ready to help,' like spending a night schmoozing with the ultra-relatable George Clooney, Julia Roberts and other Hollywood celebrities," Jessica Millan Patterson, chairwoman of the party, said in a statement.
Last week, Republican candidate and convicted former president Donald Trump made his own trip to Southern California. He appeared at a Newport Beach fundraiser where tickets ranged from $3,300 to $100,000. Attendees also had the chance to take a photo with Trump for a starting price of $35,000.
The last time Biden visited the Los Angeles area was in February, when he attended a fundraiser in the gated Beverly Park community at the home of Israeli American media mogul Haim Saban. Tickets for the event sold for between $3,300 to $250,000.