Booker heads to Hollywood amid 2020 speculation
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, one of President Trump’s most outspoken critics, has insisted he is not planning to run for President in 2020 -- although his schedule might suggest otherwise.
Booker is scheduled to host a roundtable discussion in Los Angeles on Friday at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a talent agency that manages A-list clients, with members of the entertainment and tech industries, according to an invitation obtained by CBS News.
The Hollywood confab with Booker, a prominent Democrat, heightens his profile with donors in what’s expected to be a crowded field in the 2020 race against Trump.
Listed topics of discussion are immigration, the environment, healthcare, women’s health, midterms and voter engagement. Booker’s office did not respond to a request for comment about his West Coast trip.
Following the discussion, the group will have “an interactive conversation on ways the entertainment community can establish a substantive working relationship with the Senator and help ensure continued progress on key causes in the years to come,” the invitation reads.
Hollywood has long been a fundraising hotbed for Democrats eyeing national office. The telegenic former Newark Mayor first caught the attention of Hollywood heavyweights in 2013 when they rallied behind his Senate race.
But Booker’s Senate re-election race isn’t until 2020 and his unprecedented testimony against fellow Senator -- now Attorney General -- Jeff Sessions during his confirmation hearing was slammed by Republicans as motivated by presidential ambitions.
CAA, meanwhile, proved to be a solid source of contributions for Hillary Clinton: employees donated over $80,000 dollars to her campaign, according to Bloomberg Politics.
Despite the Hollywood get-together, Booker has repeatedly insisted that he is “not open to being president” in 2020.
“If you’re a senator thinking about being president, you’re often not a very good senator,” Booker told CNN over the weekend.
