Washington, United States: President Joe Biden kicked off a three-day, star-studded fundraising trip in California on Friday. While starting the trip, Biden mocked his Republican rival and claimed that he would be a dictator only on his first day in office if he became president again, according to reports by Reuters.
The trip comes a day after the Department of Justice filed new criminal charges against Biden’s son, Hunter, accusing him of failing to pay US$1.4 million in taxes while spending millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle.
California – and the deep-pocketed entertainment industry – has long served as a significant funding source for Democrats, but long actors’ and screenwriters’ strikes chilled fundraising.
The end of the labor unrest has unlocked pent-up dollars, said Jeffrey Katzenberg, a movie mogul and campaign co-chair who has emerged as an influential voice in Biden’s re-election effort.
“It will be the most successful day and a half for the campaign to date and likely one of the most successful days and a half before a general election, where things sort of kick into a whole ‘nother gear that we’ve ever had out here for any candidate ever,” Katzenberg said in an interview with Reuters.
Biden will attend two Los Angeles fundraisers with directors Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner, as well as performers Barbra Streisand and Lenny Kravitz. The tour across California is one of at least nine fundraisers Biden will conduct before the end of the month.
Katzenberg, who is helping organize one of the fundraisers, said the final number was still fluid. “The number is big. I know that,” said Katzenberg, who co-founded DreamWorks Animation.
Biden’s Pit Stop in Las Vegas
Biden will briefly stop in Las Vegas on Friday to announce US$8.2 billion in funding for ten new passenger rail projects, a senior administration official said. The projects, funded by the US$1 trillion infrastructure law, include US$3 billion for the nation’s first high-speed rail line, which will run through California, according to a senior administration official.
According to the official, Biden will also announce a US$3 billion commitment to assist in building another high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and South Carolina, as well as funds for projects in North Carolina, Virginia and Washington DC.
Biden has spent the previous year traveling the country, announcing additional money tied to his critical legislation, including the infrastructure bill, the Chips and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. It is part of an effort to increase his poll numbers and persuade people that he is the ideal person to manage the United States economy. Still, recent public opinion surveys indicate little progress.