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SAN FRANCISCO—Former President Donald Trump’s western U.S. campaign sweep started with a $12 million haul in Democrat-dominated San Francisco, then scooped up $21.5 million more at three other fundraisers in the region.
A senior Trump campaign official released those figures, totaling $33.5 million, to The Epoch Times on June 10. That was a day after the former president capped a four-day string of campaign stops in the battleground states of Arizona and Nevada, with California in between.
The San Francisco total more than doubled the “realistic goal” of $5 million set beforehand, pollster Rich Baris told The Epoch Times on June 11.
These fundraising results and other indicators show the former president has made some significant inroads in California. “It will be closer but he sure ain’t carrying it,” Mr. Baris said about the former president’s chances for winning the state in the Nov. 5 election. But he cautioned: “If Hispanic vote trends continue to favor Republicans, it will eventually become a real problem for Democrats.”
Former President Trump’s sweep into this territory precedes Democrat President Joe Biden’s celebrity fundraiser on June 15, which will feature comedian Jimmy Kimmel in Los Angeles.
Both major presidential candidates’ fundraising efforts underscore the importance of mining donations from the Golden State, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by about two-to-one.
But the Trump campaign’s multimillion-dollar sweep in California and Nevada will add to the large amounts flowing into the former president’s coffers. Donations surged following his conviction on criminal charges in New York. People gave $52.8 million within the first 24 hours of the conviction, his campaign has stated.
Both of the former president’s post-conviction speeches—one in Phoenix on June 6 and the other in Las Vegas on June 9—drew thousands of supporters despite sizzling temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. Those speeches came amid four private fundraisers for well-to-do donors, which attracted working-class supporters—and some protesters—to greet the former president.
Less than two miles away from Mr. Sacks’ gathering of wealthy and influential donors, hundreds of working-class people flocked to a flag-waving show of support for the 45th president.
Counter-protesters were not present at Marina Green when an Epoch Times journalist visited. But social media posts revealed that some people had shown up nearby with signs denouncing the former president. “Trump is a Disgrace,” one sign said; other protesters attempted to launch a giant “Trump chicken” balloon at the marina to disparage the former president.
But his supporters carried signs welcoming him to San Francisco with flags bearing slogans such as “Take America Back,” and “Don’t Blame Me, I Voted For Trump.” Some supporters said they felt it was especially important to back the former president as he awaits sentencing for his New York conviction.
Amid the crowd, Argun Sodhani was handing out flyers touting former President Trump’s prospective presidential plan, “Agenda 47.”
Mr. Sodhani paused to share a message for the former president: “Thank you for having the courage and the bravery to stand up and doing what you’re doing. I know it’s not easy, and a lot of people don’t even understand what you’re doing.”
Mr. Sodhani told The Epoch Times he believes President Trump’s policies will benefit America, particularly his energy policies.
“Energy prices have to come down; that’s one of the Agenda 47 policies,” he said. “America must have the number one lowest cost of energy and electricity in the world.”
Some people showed up three hours in advance of the planned 2 p.m. get-together. “Let’s welcome President Trump to San Francisco!” a flyer reads, encouraging people to bring flags, signs, and “anything patriotic.”
As horns honked at the crowd assembled in the Marina Green area along the San Francisco Bay on June 6, attendee Dorothy Dent rattled off a lengthy list of reasons she supports the former president.
“We need to get an administration back who allows the freedoms of religion, freedoms of belief, freedom of faith, freedom of information,” Ms. Dent told The Epoch Times.
“When he was president for four years, we had peace. We had prosperity. We had love of others. We had appreciation for workers. We had lower gas prices. We had lower grocery prices,” the Santa Barbara resident said.
Several supporters told The Epoch Times they didn’t want to disclose their full names because they feared retaliation for expressing support for the former president in a state where he has been unpopular.
The candidate who wins the Golden State in the Nov. 5 election lays claim to the nation’s largest allotment of Electoral College votes. California’s 55 electoral votes make up one-fifth of the 270 such votes needed to secure the presidency.
Writing on X, he cited “four main issues that I think are vital to American prosperity, security, and stability:” the economy, foreign policy, the border and “lawfare.” By June 8, the post had drawn more than 7 million views.
Donors at Mr. Sacks’ event were asked to contribute $50,000 per person or raise $100,000 per person, an invitation shows.
Invitations to the other two events revealed that the June 7 dinner in Beverly Hills boasted reception donations beginning at $5,000 per person and escalating to $250,000.
A June 8 lunch reception in Newport Beach called for contributions of $3,300 to $100,000 per person.
Its hosts were listed as Palmer Luckey, along with Kimberly and John Word.
Mr. Luckey, a young virtual-reality developer, formerly worked for Facebook.
He shouted his thanks and waved to fans who assembled for a boat parade under sunny skies with pleasantly warm temperatures in the high 70s. The boaters, who had decked out their watercraft with American flags and Trump banners, blew their horns in a show of support.
Social media posts showing the California crowds sparked online speculation that perhaps President Trump could be positioned to win the state, which skeptics dismissed as wishful thinking.
On June 9, the former president was back in punishingly hot conditions in Las Vegas’ Sunset Park, where thousands of people attended his rally. Medics treated two dozen people for heat-related illnesses on-site and hospitals treated about a half-dozen others.
The Trump campaign did not release specific numbers for the Las Vegas fundraiser. But the former president’s California fundraising stands out because it plowed new ground for him.
Previously, only one major California donor—Los Angeles real estate magnate Geoffrey Palmer—has consistently come through with $1 million or more in financial support for a political action committee backing former President Trump. Mr. Palmer donated to relevant funds in 2016, 2020 and 2024, Federal Election Commission records show.
But some of President Biden’s most ardent and well-heeled supporters hail from the Golden State.
That was the case in 2020, when President Trump faced off against the Democrat nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Lear Zhou, Austin Alonzo, and The Associated Press contributed.
