Donald Trump is preparing for the biggest political fundraiser of the 2024 election season to date on Saturday, when a group of ultra-wealthy donors will descend on Mar-a-Lago for a gathering expected to raise $43 million. dollars for the Republican presidential candidate. .
The fundraiser for the former president called the “Inaugural Leadership Dinner” will be hosted by hedge fund billionaire John Paulson and his girlfriend Alina de Almedia.
Trump will attend alongside former first lady Melania Trump, who has been absent from the 2024 campaign so far, although she will reportedly host her own fundraising event later this month.
Tickets to Saturday’s glitzy event cost up to $814,600 for the president level, which includes a seat at the table with the former president, reception and a photo opportunity.
The next level is the host committee for $250,000 a ticket. Includes ‘VIP seating’, reception and photo opportunity.
Donald Trump and former first lady Melania in Palm Beach, FL, on March 19. The former first lady is expected to attend the former president’s fundraiser Saturday night at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club has been the site of numerous political fundraisers and political rallies since the former president entered politics.
According to the invitation to the lavish occasion, other special guests attending include South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who are vying to be Trump’s vice presidential pick.
Another former Republican presidential hopeful, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, will also be a special guest at the event.
Paulson isn’t the only billionaire who will join the former president at Saturday’s festivities.
The invitation includes a number of other extremely wealthy Republican mega-donors as co-chairs, including billionaire hedge fund manager Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer.
Casino magnate Steve Wynn and his wife Andrea are also on the invitation, as are oil magnate Harold Hamm, Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and the grocery chain’s CEO John Catsimatidis. .
Billionaire John Paulson and Alina de Almedia will host the ‘Inaugural Leadership Dinner’ at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday. The event is expected to raise $43 million for Trump’s re-election.
Robert Mercer and Rebekah Mercer Listed as Co-Chairs of Former President’s Fundraiser
Billionaire casino magnate Steve Wynn is among those expected to help raise money for the former president as co-chairman of his fundraising party on Saturday.
Business magnate Harold Hamm is president and CEO of oil and gas company Continental Resources.
Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, a former US ambassador to the UK, are also among the co-chairmen.
Several of Trump’s former administration officials will attend, including his former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and his wife Hilary, as well as business executive Linda McMahon, who led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.
Former ambassador to Spain and financier Duke Buchan III is also listed as co-chairman with his wife Hannah along with Georgia senator and businesswoman Kelly Loeffler and her husband Jeff Sprecher, president of the New York Stock Exchange.
Also listed as co-chairman is hotel businessman Robert Bigelow, who was a major supporter of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the Republican presidential primary, giving the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC more than $20 million.
Former Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and his wife Hilary Ross in 2023.
Todd Ricketts is co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and former finance chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Trump with Jets owner and former ambassador to the United Kingdom Woody Johnson and his wife Suzanne after a rally in Las Vegas in February. The Johnsons are co-chairs of the April 6 fundraiser.
The glitzy shindig in South Florida is said to be the Republican response to Democrats’ recent “Night with the Presidents” fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall.
On March 28, Biden appeared alongside former Presidents Obama and Clinton, where they were interviewed by late-night host Stephen Colbert for a sold-out event.
That star-studded evening generated more than $26 million for Biden and the Democrats.
While some tickets cost up to $500,000, they generated $9.5 million through grassroots fundraising as more than 165,000 fans contributed.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is expected to top that huge fundraising haul with his April 6 event. A Republican National Committee official said he was expected to raise $43 million.
But a source close to Bidenworld questioned the March fundraising totals touted by the former president and asked how much of the total from Saturday’s mega-fundraiser had already been counted toward the monthly fundraising total. They argued that the lack of details about the number of donors in the monthly fundraising figure is telling.
That source also noted that the dinner does not appear to have a grassroots component, saying that large fundraisers are only sustainable to a point.
Comedian Stephen Colbert (left) moderated the debate with (from left) President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton.
Appearance by President Joe Biden (center) at a $26 million-plus fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall with former presidents Barack Obama (left) and Bill Clinton (right)
Trump has been trying to catch up to Biden when it comes to the presidential fundraising race.
Earlier this week, the Republican National Committee announced that Trump and Republican-aligned groups raised more than $65 million in March, a substantial increase over fundraising through February.
The campaign and Republicans ended March with $93 million in cash on hand, a significant increase from the less than $42 million Republicans had at the end of February.
But despite an improvement in fundraising last month when Trump and the RNC signed a new joint Trump 47 Committee fundraising deal with the former president getting the delegates needed to be the nominee, Biden is still miles ahead. when it comes to raising money.
As of late February, the president had a whopping $155 million in cash on hand as he enters a tough general election season.
The record sum has allowed the president’s campaign to make early advertising reservations and invest early in its field operations and efforts to broaden his political path to victory.
At the same time, Trump has faced mounting legal fees and spent millions from his Save America leadership pac on lawyers. The joint fundraising agreement will continue to help finance his legal costs.
Campaign documents from the March federal election will shed additional light on presidential candidates’ fundraising efforts later this month.