Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump is heading west Wednesday to tape an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Afterwards, he’ll attend what could be his first big campaign fundraiser at the home of real estate billionaire and former Miramax co-owner Tom Barrack and his wife, Rachelle.
It’s not expected to be the kind of celebrity-packed events that Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been known to have. Instead, Trump’s Hollywood supporters have been trying not to out themselves. It’s hard out here for a Hollywood Republican. The Hollywood Reporter (THR) notes many potential attendees hoped to get free tickets to the $100,000 per couple event, in hopes of not publicly declaring their support for Trump.
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“This town will get vicious to those who support Trump,” one filmmaker told THR. “It’s not that Hollywood Republicans are cheap. In the end, they’ll contribute, but they want to wait as long as possible.”
Barrack founded Colony Capital, an international investment firm that focuses on real estate. There’s expected to be a small Hollywood contingency at the event. Lionel Chetwynd, co-founder of Friends of Abe, a private group of conservatives in Hollywood, believes more people will come around to Trump’s side eventually.
“This is history, and Hollywood will get involved on both sides,” says Chetwynd. “Nothing will be the same after this election. It will be very hard to sit on the sidelines.”
Republican National Committee (RNC) chair, Reince Priebus, is co-hosting the fundraiser. Mucho of the money raised will go to the RNC.
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It’s expected that Trump will hold at least 50 fundraisers in hopes of raising $1 billion for the general election.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles
