Biden and DeSantis go to California to schmooze with billionaires
President Joe Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are both fundraising Monday in Northern California as the two men look to fill their war coffers heading into the 2024 election.
Biden reaches the San Francisco area after first lady Jill Biden raised money in the same place last week.
DeSantis raises money in Sacramento amid an escalating feud with California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.
Both candidates will meet with tech execs and other wealthy corporate executives as they work to fill their campaign coffers before the second quarter fundraising deadline.
President Joe Biden waves as he walks toward Air Force One as he heads to California
Biden’s campaign has so far not disclosed details of how much money it has raised, but it will have to do so after June 30, the end of the second-quarter fundraising deadline.
Ahead of that date, Joe and Jill Biden, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff will head to America’s richest cities to raise much-needed campaign money.
On the other side of the political spectrum, DeSantis is headed to California, where he is stepping up his feud with Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, including challenging him to “stop hanging around” and launching a primary challenge against Biden. to go.
DeSantis is raising money in his race for the Republican presidential nomination — the winner of which will face Biden in the fall.
He raised $8.2 million in fundraising in the 24 hours after running for president, his campaign announced. He will also have to release his second-quarter fundraising totals after the June 30 deadline.
Before his two-day trip to California, DeSantis released a video attacking Newsom’s policies as governor, saying it was causing people to leave the state.
“We have witnessed a major American exodus from states controlled by left-wing politicians,” says DeSantis. “This is the result of better governance in states like Florida. It is the result of bad governance in these leftist states. That’s why people move.’
Newsom has attacked DeSantis, specifically the Florida governor’s migration policies, threatening him with kidnapping charges after a Florida-affiliated contractor flew migrants into Sacramento.
DeSantis challenged Newsom at a press conference last week to actually enter the presidential race.
Ron DeSantis will also be in California this week to raise money for his campaign
Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom (above) are involved in an escalating war of words
He poked fun at Newsom for having a “fixation” on Florida and challenged the California Democrat to “quit the fuss” and enter the 2024 presidential race.
‘I just think it’s bizarre [Newsom] does that,” DeSantis said. “What I’d say to him is, ‘you know what, stop fussing. Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe?”
“Are you going to get in and do it or are you just going to sit on the sidelines and chirp? Why don’t you throw your hat in the ring and we’ll move on and talk about what’s going on.’
Newsom has said he will not challenge Biden in 2024. He will attend one of Biden’s fundraisers.
But the California governor said earlier this month that his phone regularly pings with people urging him to run against Biden in his re-election bid.
“How many times a day does your phone ping people saying you should enter this race because they agree with me [Biden’s] not up for the job?’ Fox News’ Sean Hannity asked Newsom.
“I see where you’re going, Sean,” Newsom said, adding, “And I’m not answering.”
“Would you get into this elementary school under any circumstances?” the Fox News host pushed.
“No,” replied the California Democrat. ‘Look, I’m really proud – I think he’s a man of decency and character. I’m really proud of the president, proud of what he’s accomplished over the past three years.”
A recent poll by Emerson College Polling and Inside California Politics found that DeSantis trailed Donald Trump by more than 30 points among registered Republican voters in the state for the 2024 campaign.
The same poll showed Biden leading the Democratic primary, with more than 70% of registered Democrats in California saying he was their top pick.
In addition to his fundraising efforts, Biden will focus on climate and manufacturing. He will visit the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto announces $600 million in climate investments.