President Joe Biden will reportedly not be visiting the Los Angeles area until the actors and writers’ strike affecting Hollywood is resolved.
Sources with direct knowledge of the situation said he will not fundraise in the region, and wishes to stand steadfast in support of the unions and workers who are on strike, according to TMZ.
“The President believes all workers, including actors, deserve fair pay and benefits,” a spokesperson for Biden said earlier this month, per TMZ. “The President supports workers’ right to strike.”
“The studios are the only ones who can end the strike — by negotiating a fair deal,” WGA Chief Negotiator @ellenstutzman #WGAstrike https://t.co/5Z4Xd2v8aJ
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) July 22, 2023
President Biden is seemingly willing to freeze fundraising in a critical area to his campaign — Los Angeles — to send a message of solidarity to those on strike. There are 15 months remaining before the election, but no sense of when this strike will end, or what’s happening in the negotiations between SAG-AFTRA, The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Biden’s campaign has reportedly raised significant funds in past years. He raised more money in California than in any other state in 2020, with estimates totaling roughly $105.5 million, which represented 21% of the total money raised for his campaign, according to TMZ.
Some virtual fundraisers held in Los Angeles in 2020 reportedly generated about $25,000 a head, with one particular event raking in $2.7 million. Some top Hollywood celebrities have hosted pro-Biden fundraisers in the past, including Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand and Jennifer Garner to name a few, TMZ noted. (RELATED: Stunt Performer Mike Massa Sets Himself On Fire During Hollywood Strike)
President Biden postpones re-election fundraisers in Los Angeles amid actors and writers strikes in Hollywood- Report https://t.co/RtEwCL1nkO pic.twitter.com/8wVWOpknd5
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) July 27, 2023
Biden has reportedly not accepted any offers to host fundraisers at “rich folks” homes, the TMZ source said.
“Nothing has been scheduled. There are no events planned so far, but they will happen when the strikes are over,” a source said to TMZ. Biden reportedly felt it would be unfair to generate large sums of money from the Hollywood community amid the ongoing financial struggle of the industry’s most valued workers.
“I sincerely hope the writers’ strike in Hollywood gets resolved and the writers are given a fair deal they deserve as soon as possible,” Biden said in May, according to TMZ.