Share this @internewscast.com

LOS ANGELES — President Joe Biden kicked off a three-day, star-studded fundraising trip in California on Friday by mocking Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for claiming he would be a dictator just on his first day in office if he became president again.

Trump said on Tuesday that he will not become a dictator if he becomes U.S. president again, except “on Day One.”

“Thank God, only one day,” Biden quipped at a fundraiser in Los Angeles at the home of Michael Smith, a celebrity interior designer, and his partner, James Costos, a former HBO executive who was President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Spain.

Biden called Trump, who lost the 2020 election but sought to overturn the results, a threat to democracy. Trump was indicted in August for wide-ranging attempts to overturn the election.

Biden’s trip comes a day after the Department of Justice filed new criminal charges against Biden’s son, Hunter, accusing him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle. The president did not mention his son during his remarks at the fundraiser.

California — and the deep-pocketed entertainment industry — has long served as a major funding source for Democrats, but long strikes by actors and screenwriters had a chilling effect on 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 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 said in an interview with Reuters.

Biden was scheduled to participate in two Los Angeles fundraisers expected to include directors Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner and musicians Barbra Streisand and Lenny Kravitz. The California swing is part of a blitz of at least nine fundraisers Biden will hold before the end of the month.

The fundraisers in California and an earlier round in Boston are expected to raise at least $15 million, according to a source familiar with the events, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The total haul in the fourth quarter of 2023 is expected to be close to $67 million, the source said, adding that the amount will be similar to that raised by then President Obama during the same period in 2011.

Katzenberg, who is helping to 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 stopped briefly in Las Vegas on Friday to announce $8.2 billion in funding for 10 new passenger rail projects.

“Trump just talks the talk. We walk the walk,” Biden told 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 projects, funded by the $1 trillion infrastructure law, include $3 billion for the nation’s first high-speed rail line, which will run through California, according to a senior administration official.

Biden also announced a $3 billion investment to help create another high-speed rail corridor between Las Vegas and Southern California, along with money for projects in North Carolina, Virginia and Washington.

Biden has spent the last year crisscrossing the country announcing new funding tethered to his signature pieces of legislation: the infrastructure law, the Chips and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

It is part of a bid to boost his poll ratings and convince voters he is the right person to lead the U.S. economy, but recent public opinion polls show the effort has had little success.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Father of Jacksonville rapper Ksoo to be sentenced in November for accessory in murder

Jacksonville Rapper Ksoo’s Father Faces November Sentencing: A Deep Dive into the Murder Accessory Case

Abdul Robinson Sr., 54, has reached a plea agreement to testify against…
Chicago CTA riders brace for weekend work halting of trains on elevated Loop tracks on Brown, Green, Orange and Pink lines

Chicago Transit Alert: Major Weekend Disruptions on Loop Elevated Tracks for Brown, Green, Orange, and Pink Lines

CHICAGO (WLS) — This weekend might pose difficulties for CTA riders as…
Man accused of killing teacher wife after wandering shirtless and warning of ‘too many cops’ nearby: police

Shirtless Man Arrested for Allegedly Killing Teacher Wife, Claims ‘Too Many Cops’ Were Close: Police Report

A Texas man has been taken into custody following allegations that he…
Taylor Swift earns first Songwriters Hall of Fame nomination in debut year of eligibility

Taylor Swift Celebrates Her First Nomination for Songwriters Hall of Fame in First Year of Eligibility

In a groundbreaking move, pop sensation Taylor Swift might soon make history…
42-year-old cold case closed after detectives crack into discovered confession

Detectives Solve 42-Year-Old Cold Case with Newly Uncovered Confession

A chilling chapter from 1983 has finally reached its conclusion in Nassau…
Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance denounces driver's license checkpoint plan for Green Cove Springs

Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance Criticizes Proposed Driver’s License Checkpoint Initiative in Green Cove Springs

A proposed driver’s license checkpoint in Green Cove Springs, Florida, has sparked…
Security at California Coast Guard base opens fire on U-Haul truck posing 'direct threat'

California Coast Guard Base Incident: Security Neutralizes ‘Direct Threat’ from U-Haul Truck

On Thursday night, shots were fired at a Coast Guard facility in…
Carlson and Greene Outline Five Pillars for America’s Renewal

Carlson and Greene Unveil Five Key Strategies for Revitalizing America

In their explosive discussion, journalist Tucker Carlson and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor…
Eight Americans arrested in Bahamas after authorities discover 'high-powered weapons' cache, ammunition

Shocking Discovery: Eight Americans Detained in Bahamas for Hidden Arsenal of High-Powered Weapons

In a significant operation on Tuesday, eight American citizens were detained in…
East Chatham, Chicago man billed thousands for ambulance after alleged electric bike crash along S. Cottage Grove Ave.

Shocking Ambulance Bill: East Chatham Man Faces Thousands in Charges After E-Bike Crash on S. Cottage Grove Ave

In a surprising turn of events on Chicago’s South Side, a local…
Sonya Massey death: Jury shown autopsy photos as testimony continues in murder trial of former Illinois deputy Sean Grayson

Shocking Courtroom Revelations: Autopsy Photos Unveiled in Gruesome Murder Trial of Ex-Illinois Deputy

PEORIA, Ill. — On Thursday, the murder trial of former Sangamon County…
‘Everything’s on the table’: Former detective breaks down murder of manager of famed strip club

Former Detective Analyzes High-Profile Murder of Renowned Strip Club Manager: ‘All Possibilities Considered

Authorities are delving into all potential motives behind the early-morning shooting that…