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Donald Trump visits Newport Beach on campaign fundraising tour

Former President Donald Trump visited Newport Beach Saturday during his first major campaign fundraiser swing through Southern California.

Trump visited Orange County after holding a fundraising event in Beverly Hills the night before at the home of businessman Lee Samson. 

Early Saturday morning, supporters lined the streets near Pacific Coast Highway and Jamboree Road, hoping to catch a glimpse of Trump’s motorcade which arrived shortly before 1 p.m.

Tickets to the Newport Beach event ranged from $3,300 to $100,000 per person. 

Around 400 people attended the fundraiser, which was held at the Harbor Island home of John Word, a health insurance company co-founder, along with his wife, Kimberly Word, and billionaire tech entrepreneur Palmer Luckey. 

A supporter, Blake Marnell, said he drove from San Diego to await Trump’s arrival in Orange County.

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“We do get a rap as a blue state and at the state level, those offices are solidly Democratic, but that belies the point that there are enclaves of conservative politics all throughout California,” Marnell said.

The Newport Beach event was Trump’s final stop in California after holding events in San Francisco on Thursday and Beverly Hills on Friday.

On the heels of his conviction on 34 felony charges on May 30, the Republican presidential candidate reportedly raised $141 million in May. 

The Beverly Hills event reportedly raised around $6 million. The San Francisco event raised around $12 million which was hosted by David Sacks, a venture capitalist and former PayPal executive, along with his wife, Jacqueline Sacks, and venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya.

According to the Orange County Register, Trump has faced some criticism for relying on campaign donations to pay for his expensive legal fees. Some estimates said in 2024, he has reportedly spent over $100 million from donations to pay his lawyers.

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, days before he is expected to be formally announced as the GOP’s presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. 

This trip marks Trump’s first visit to Southern California since the Anaheim GOP Convention in September 2023.

President Joe Biden is set to visit Southern California on June 15 for a major fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in downtown L.A. that will include appearances by former President Barack Obama and celebrities including George Clooney and Julia Roberts.