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Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Barack Obama.
CNN
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President Joe Biden’s campaign will flex its Hollywood star power at a fundraiser in Los Angeles next month that will further boost Democratic support for Barack Obama.
A source close to the Biden campaign told CNN that the event, which will feature appearances by former President George Clooney and Julia Roberts, is aimed at expanding Biden’s financial advantage over former President Donald Trump. he said.
His campaign plans to run a contest for supporters featuring Clooney and Roberts, who have co-starred in several films since the 2001 heist “Ocean’s Eleven.” The movie stars will also appear in social media posts and digital ads promoting the Biden campaign. The plan was first reported by NBC News.
President Obama has already participated in fundraising efforts for Biden, with a mega event in March at New York’s Radio City Music Hall with former President Bill Clinton raising $26 million. President Obama is expected to intensify his campaign as his election approaches.
News of the star-studded fundraiser came during the president’s West Coast outing last week, when the Biden campaign raised $10 million in 24 hours, according to sources. Biden participated in four fundraisers, two in the Bay Area and two in the Seattle area.
Biden’s last month’s numbers are expected to be released next week.
The president’s financial advantage over Trump has been one of the undeniable bright spots in his campaign. The largely uncontested Democratic primary allowed Mr. Biden to solidify support among Democratic donors early on, compared to the battle for donors among the Republican camp.
The most recent filings available (March) show that Mr. Biden has nearly twice as much cash in his safe as Mr. Trump. The Biden campaign spent the money on TV ads, staffing to battleground states and travel.
But now that Trump has secured the Republican nomination, his fundraising efforts have accelerated. He has raised tens of millions of dollars at individual events over the past few weeks, including a record $50.5 million at a Florida fundraiser in April. Trump’s advisers told his donors earlier this month that Trump brought in $76 million in April.
CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this report.
