patrick.net

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6 (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump raised $12 million on Thursday, two sources said, at an event hosted by two tech venture capitalists in San Francisco that drew Silicon Valley investors turned off by the Biden administration's policies.

Venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, as well as Sacks' wife Jacqueline, held the reception and dinner with Trump at the Sacks' swanky mansion in the Pacific Heights neighborhood, according to an invitation seen by Reuters.

The gathering - where top tickets were $500,000 per couple - was sold out, a source with knowledge of the fundraiser told Reuters. It raised some $12 million, according to Republican National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon and another source.

While San Francisco is heavily liberal - Democrat Joe Biden won 85% of the city's vote in the 2020 election against then-President Trump - a growing number of high-profile local venture capitalists and crypto investors have thrown their support behind Trump ahead of his November rematch against Biden.

"President Trump is relaxed, happy, and cracking jokes about AI," Dhillon, a conservative lawyer, posted on X from the event.
Executives from crypto exchange Coinbase, crypto investor twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss and other crypto leaders were in attendance, Dhillon added. Trump talked about how Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has warned about crypto being used by scam investors and criminals, is "going after crypto," according to Dhillon.

The paltry turnout of anti-Trump protesters paled in comparison to the number of people who came out for Trump, who at times led chants, “USA, USA, USA,” and “We want Trump.”

The president’s motorcade did not make an appearance at the rally, which was set up outside a multi-block security perimeter around tech entrepreneur David Sacks’ house, where the fundraiser was being held. Tickets for the dinner ranged from $50,000 to $500,000.