Trump’s Upcoming Fundraiser Set to Outdo Biden’s Obama Event, Allies Assert
Debarylife – At least $33 million has been raised for next week’s combined fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, between the Republican Party and former president Donald Trump, according to organizers.
This amount, which won’t be confirmed until campaign disclosure reports are released, is probably higher than what President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party will raise at their Thursday night event in New York City with former presidents Bill and Barack Obama, who are estimated to raise over $25 million.
The first to report on the anticipated $33 million profit from Trump’s fundraiser was the Financial Times.
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The event is being hosted by billionaire John Paulson next week. He told ABC News in a statement, “We’ve raised over $33 million so far. The response to our fundraising efforts has been overwhelming.” “A wide range of donors have expressed overwhelming support. Given the modest size of the supper, we are virtually at capacity.”
With Trump having been declared the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, the two events highlight what is anticipated to be a fierce money race between the two sitting and former presidents in the general election. Trump and his party can now collaborate to raise money together to catch up to Biden and the DNC’s enormous $100 million war chest.
Files reveal that before he was officially named the front-runner, Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) were financially trailing their competitors. Unlike Biden and the Democratic Party, they were unable to raise money collectively, and as of March, they only had half of what the Democrats had in the bank.
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Trump’s Palm Beach dinner, set for April 6, is slated to be one of the biggest gatherings of key Trump donors in recent memory, co-chaired by dozens of prominent Republicans in addition to Paulson hosting. The candidate is now able to solicit money collectively and take contributions exceeding $800,000 per donor.
Up to $5,000 per contributor, a portion of the funds earned through the fundraiser may be donated to Trump’s Save America leadership PAC, which has paid for tens of millions of dollars’ worth of his legal expenses, as disclosed.
According to an invitation to the fundraiser obtained by ABC News, co-chairs of the event include New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, many former ambassadors, and officials from the Trump administration, including former Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon and former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
Among the co-chairs are casino tycoon Phil Ruffin, energy tycoon Harold Hamm, aerospace executive Robert Bigelow, hedge fund manager Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer, and former Trump campaign finance chair Todd Ricketts, according to the invitation.
Thursday’s dinner in New York, which Biden’s campaign is promoting as having raised a “historic” amount, is anticipated to have a star-studded lineup of performers and celebrities, including Obama and Clinton, Stephen Colbert, Mindy Kaling, Lizzo, Queen Latifah, and Ben Platt.
Movie entrepreneur and Biden campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg stated in a statement, “This historic raise is a show of strong enthusiasm for President Biden and Vice President Harris and a testament to the unprecedented fundraising machine we’ve built.”
According to a statement released separately by Biden-Harris spokesperson Kevin Munoz, “Democrats are unified and energized behind President Biden’s reelection campaign — and that will be on full display this Thursday in New York City.”
The Biden fundraiser is scheduled on the same day that Trump attended the funeral of New York Police Department Officer Jonathan Diller, who was reportedly shot and died this week while on a traffic check.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung attacked Biden on Thursday for hosting a “glitzy fundraiser” with “elitist” supporters rather than showing up to Diller’s funeral as Trump does.
According to the White House, Biden phoned Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, to express his sympathies over Diller’s death and to offer any assistance that might be required.
Cheung also highlighted Trump’s meager financial contributions.
“Democrats are running scared of the fundraising prowess of President Trump,” he partially stated.
“We are not only raising the necessary funds but we are deploying strategic assets that will help send President Trump back to the White House and carry Republicans over the finish line,” he added.