President Joe Biden in Los Angeles Saturday for campaign fundraiser
President Joe Biden is coming to Los Angeles Saturday as part of his Biden 2024 fundraising campaign.
A star-studded fundraising event takes place downtown Los Angeles at the Peacock Theater, where celebrity supporters George Clooney and Julia Roberts are to attend, as well as former President Barack Obama.
Late-night-talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel is to moderate a discussion between Biden and Obama at the event, similar to a fundraiser the Biden campaign held in March in New York City that featured talk-show host Stephen Colbert moderating discussions between Biden, Obama and former President Bill Clinton.
According to various reports, tickets for the exclusive gathering began at $250, ranging as high as $500,000 for front-of-house seating, photo opportunities and an after-party.
The fundraiser could be the last major event for Biden in the Southland ahead of the November election, making it a critical event for an incumbent dogged by continuing consumer complaints about inflation, the cost of groceries and gas, and rising division over the U.S. stance in the Israel-Hamas war.
The California Republican Party blasted the high-dollar fundraising event. "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, the California Republican Party chairwoman, said in a statement.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was in the Southland for his fundraising efforts last week. He spoke at a Newport Beach fundraiser, with tickets ranging from $3,300 for a lunch reception to $100,000 to be designated as a member of the host committee. The cost for a photo opp with Trump started at $35,000.
Trump also attended a fundraiser in Beverly Hills, with tickets ranging from $5,000 to $250,000.