Former President Trump’s three days in Democratic-majority California proved beneficial in many ways.
Trump, who is set to become the Republican presidential nominee, is holding three fundraisers in California and one in Las Vegas over the weekend, which he expects to raise a total of about $27.5 million, a campaign official told Fox News.
The Trump campaign also announced that another $6 million had been raised for outside groups supporting his rematch with President Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
But the former president formally won the backing of big tech investors at his first fundraiser on Thursday, arrived at a fundraiser in Orange County on Saturday to a large crowd of supporters and is campaigning in California before holding rallies in the key battleground states of Arizona and Nevada on Thursday and Sunday.
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Former President Trump points to the crowd during a campaign rally at Sunset Park in Las Vegas on June 9, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
“We had huge turnout at public and fundraising events this weekend,” said Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign. “Donors at every level are giving us the resources we need, and engaged voters across the country are fueling an unstoppable movement to Make America Great Again.”
Thursday’s fundraiser was hosted by Silicon Valley powerhouses David Sachs and Chamath Palihapitiya, co-hosts of the popular podcast “All In.” The event took place at Sachs’ multimillion-dollar mansion in Pacific Heights, an upscale neighborhood in San Francisco that’s a Democratic stronghold.
“When we agreed to do this event, the first thing was, could we raise $5 million? That was the goal. You know, the Bay Area is a liberal stronghold, so we thought $5 million would be a huge help,” Sachs said in an interview with FOX Business. “Kudro.” on friday.
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But the Trump campaign said the fundraiser ultimately raised about $12 million, more than double its initial estimate.
And just hours before the event, Sachs endorsed Trump.
Following the fundraiser in San Francisco, the former president held major fundraisers in Beverly Hills on Friday and Newport Beach on Saturday, where Trump was greeted by about 3,000 supporters, according to local police.
Supporters react to former President Trump’s motorcade during his fundraiser in Newport Beach, California, on June 8, 2024. (Reuters/David Swanson)
The visit doesn’t mean the Trump campaign thinks overwhelmingly Democratic California is a contender.
Instead, Trump’s appearance, like two sold-out fundraisers hosted by Vice President Harris in the Bay Area on Wednesday and one for Biden in the San Francisco area last month, was the latest evidence that California remains a key ATM for campaign cash.
“Republicans aren’t doing well in California in terms of votes, but they’re doing well in terms of money,” longtime political analyst Bill Schneider told Fox News.
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Schneider noted that the late Republican President Ronald Reagan, who lived in California for decades, “blazed the trail for fundraising for the Republican Party in California.”
But, he added, “Democrats and Republicans are both using California as an ATM machine.”
Biden is due to return to California on Saturday, where he will team up with former President Barack Obama, Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel for a star-studded fundraiser in downtown Los Angeles.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama joined President Biden at a star-studded fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall on March 28, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images)
A leading California Republican told Fox News that fundraising not only brings in campaign cash, but also gets a message out.
“There are many California voters looking for change in the White House, and campaign contributions are an important way to make our voices heard beyond the ballot box. This type of participation sends a strong message to the nation that not all Californians agree with our current political climate,” said Collin Rankin, Vice Chair of the California Republican Party.
“California is a case study in the failure of Democratic policies, with many residents experiencing the negative impacts of those policies firsthand,” Rankin argued. “As a result, Californians understand the consequences of four years of Biden’s presidency better than most. This has galvanized many to actively fundraise for a better alternative…The fundraising success here highlights California’s diverse political landscape and the strong desire of many residents for a different direction at the national level.”
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The money raised over the past few days will further boost Trump’s already strong fundraising tactics over the past few weeks.
The Trump campaign announced last week that it and the Republican National Committee (RNC) raised a staggering $141 million in May, thanks in part to the former president’s criminal conviction.
President Trump is the first former and current president in U.S. history to be convicted of all 34 felony counts at trial.
The former president’s campaign highlighted that in the first 24 hours after the verdict, it and the Republican National Committee raised nearly $53 million, which was added to May’s total.
The Biden campaign has also used Trump’s ruling to raise funds, with a source familiar with the matter telling Fox News that “the 24 hours after the ruling were one of the most fundraising hours the Biden campaign has had since launching its campaign.”
Trump has been trying to close the fundraising gap with Biden, and in April, his campaign and the Republican National Committee outraised Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee for the first time.
Fundraising, along with polls, is a key indicator of the strength of candidates and their campaigns. Money raised can be used to bolster grassroots and get-out-the-vote efforts, human resources, travel, advertising, and more.
Get the latest 2024 campaign updates, exclusive interviews and more on Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
