Former President Donald Trump still plans to head to Southern California next week for a pair of fundraisers, despite a guilty verdict in his hush money trial Thursday, a campaign spokesperson confirmed Thursday, May 30.
Trump – who is the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a felony – is in the midst of his third quest for the White House. He has plans to head to Beverly Hills on Friday, June 7, and then Newport Beach the next day to raise money for his campaign.
“The fundraisers are still on. We’re excited about the president coming out,” said Tony Strickland, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign in Orange County.
Earlier Thursday, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts. Jurors said Trump was guilty of falsifying business records in a bid to influence the 2016 presidential election, which he won.
Trump and his supporters immediately decried the verdict, calling it “rigged.” The former president has lambasted the judge and Manhattan district attorney in the case.
Strickland maintained the verdict only galvanized supporters more. Case in point, he said: Trump’s fundraising page crashed shortly after the verdict was handed down, which the campaign has attributed to an influx of support.
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And Strickland expects to see that increase in support when Trump comes to Southern California next week.
“I think President Trump is stronger today than he was yesterday because people inherently see what it is,” said Strickland, a member of the Huntington Beach City Council. “What the American people see is not equal justice, and people fundamentally don’t like injustice.”
Trump was last in Orange County in the fall to address attendees at the California Republican Party’s convention in Anaheim. There, speaking to a friendly crowd, Trump vowed “to bring back law” to California if elected to the White House for a second term.
Southern California is a popular stop for national politicians who hope to tap into the checkbooks of wealthy donors. Tickets for the Beverly Hills fundraiser range from $5,000 to $250,000.
The event in Newport Beach is hosted by virtual reality entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, who has put on private fundraisers for the former president in past election cycles as well.
President Joe Biden will also trek out to Southern California in June; his campaign has planned a star-studded fundraiser in downtown Los Angeles the weekend after Trump is in town.
Staff writers Clara Harter and Hanna Kang contributed to this report.