© Reuters. U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he steps from Air Pressure One upon his arrival in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., December 5, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
By Jarrett Renshaw and Nandita Bose
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -President Joe Biden kicked off a three-day, star-studded fundraising journey in California on Friday by mocking Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for claiming he could be a dictator simply on his first day in workplace if he grew to become president once more.
Trump stated on Tuesday that he won’t develop into a dictator if he turns into U.S. president once more, besides “on day one.”
“Thank God, only one day,” Biden quipped at a fundraiser in Los Angeles on the residence of Michael Smith, a celeb inside designer, and his associate, James Costos, a former HBO government who was President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Spain.
Biden known as Trump, who misplaced the 2020 election however sought to overturn the outcomes, a risk to democracy. Trump was indicted in August for wide-ranging makes an attempt to overturn the election.
Biden’s journey comes a day after the Division of Justice filed new prison expenses towards Biden’s son, Hunter, accusing him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes whereas spending tens of millions of {dollars} on a lavish life-style. The president didn’t point out his son throughout his remarks on the fundraiser.
California – and the deep-pocketed leisure trade – has lengthy served as a significant funding supply for Democrats, however lengthy strikes by actors and screenwriters had a chilling impact on fundraising.
The tip of the labor unrest has unlocked pent-up {dollars}, stated Jeffrey Katzenberg, a film mogul and marketing campaign co-chair who has emerged as an influential voice in Biden’s effort to win re-election in November 2024.
“It will be the most successful day and a half for the campaign to date and likely one of the most successful day and a halfs prior to 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 stated in an interview with Reuters.
Biden was scheduled to take part in two Los Angeles fundraisers anticipated to incorporate administrators Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner and musicians Barbra Streisand and Lenny Kravitz. The California swing is a part of a blitz of a minimum of 9 fundraisers Biden will maintain earlier than the tip of the month.
The fundraisers in California and an earlier spherical in Boston are anticipated to boost a minimum of $15 million, in keeping with a supply aware of the occasions, who spoke on situation of anonymity. The full haul within the fourth quarter of 2023 is anticipated to be near $67 million, the supply stated, including that the quantity shall be much like that raised by then President Obama throughout the identical interval in 2011.
Katzenberg, who helps to arrange one of many fundraisers, stated the ultimate quantity was nonetheless fluid.
“The number is big. I know that,” stated Katzenberg, who co-founded DreamWorks Animation.
Biden stopped briefly in Las Vegas on Friday to announce $8.2 billion in funding for 10 new passenger rail tasks.
“Trump just talks the talk. We walk the walk,” Biden advised a crowd of unionized carpenters there. “He likes to say America is a failing nation. Frankly, he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about. I see shovels in the ground, cranes in the sky. People hard at work rebuilding America together.”
The tasks, funded by the $1 trillion infrastructure legislation, embrace $3 billion for the nation’s first high-speed rail line, which is able to run via California, in keeping with a senior administration official.
Biden additionally introduced a $3 billion funding to assist create one other high-speed rail hall between Las Vegas and Southern California, together with cash for tasks in North Carolina, Virginia and Washington.
Biden has spent the final yr crisscrossing the nation asserting new funding tethered to his signature items of laws: the infrastructure legislation, the Chips and Science Act and the Inflation Discount Act.
It’s a part of a bid to spice up his ballot rankings and persuade voters he’s the correct individual to steer the U.S. financial system, however latest public opinion polls present the trouble has had little success.
