Trump Visits Orange County for Private Fundraiser

     On Oct. 18, President Donald Trump visited Orange County, California for about 2 and a half hours for a private fundraiser. The event was closed to reporters, but according to the White House, there was a roundtable discussion with his supporters and a speech by President Trump afterward.

     According to the OC Register, President Trump’s visit comes as the latest numbers show that the President is falling behind Former Vice President Joe Biden in campaign cash.

     The tickets for the event were $2,800 for individuals, ranging all the way up to $150,000 for a couple to attend and take a photo with the President. 

     According to NBC Los Angeles, $2,800 is the donation limit for an individual in a presidential campaign. “The higher ticket prices are legal because the money goes to the Republican National Committee and Republican state parties in battleground states.”

     The event was held by Palmer Luckey, in his home in Newport Beach. Luckey was the founder of Oculus, a virtual reality gaming company, in 2012. Oculus was bought by Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion. In the past, he has reportedly donated to far-right and pro-Trump organizations. This cycle, he has donated $405,600 to President Trump’s campaign, and more than $1.7 million to other Republican committees and candidates.

     The event was originally supposed to be held on October 6, but was postponed when President Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. He claims to no longer feel sick, and his doctors cleared him to make public appearances. Some experts were worried about how soon he was out in public again as he had only been out of Walter Reed Medical Center for 2 weeks. 

     The fundraiser reportedly brought in $10 million for the Trump campaign. After less than 3 hours, President Trump flew from John Wayne Airport to Reno, Nevada for another event.