President Joe Biden arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday morning ahead of a campaign fundraiser scheduled for downtown in the evening.
Air Force One touched down at Los Angeles International Airport after coming straight from the recent G7 Summit in Italy’s southern Puglia region, where Biden met with other world leaders and Pope Francis.
On Saturday evening, Biden will take part in a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theatre in downtown L.A. to raise money for his re-election bid. There, he’ll be joined by former President Barrack Obama and some Hollywood power players like George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
The event will be emceed by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
Angelenos may want to avoid the downtown area on Saturday night as traffic caused by the fundraiser could be severe. The Secret Service issued a statement claiming that Biden’s motorcade route won’t be disclosed for security purposes, but several street closures and parking restrictions will be in place.
As with many political events in the Southland as of late, protests are expected in the area. A Jewish group demanding an embargo on arms sales to Israel, Jewish Voice for Peace – Los Angeles, issued a statement claiming that the group will protest outside the fundraiser.
The downtown L.A. event will likely be the incumbent’s final stop in Southern California ahead of November’s election. Biden’s presumptive Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, held a similar event in Newport Beach just last week.
While the deep-blue state of California isn’t typically a factor in presidential elections, it’s considered crucial for candidates of all parties for fundraising purposes. The state hasn’t been tallied for a Republican candidate in the electoral college since George H.W. Bush narrowly defeated Michael Dukakis in 1988.