With the UK preparing to go to the polls on American independence day, presidential fundraisers came to London last night.
Competing fundraisers for Donald Trump and Joe Biden were helmed by former Neighbours star Holly Valance and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour for the Republican and Democrat candidates respectively. Democrats Abroad Global Press Secretary Sharon Manitta told the BBC that the timing of the rival events was purely coincidental.
According to the BBC, Trump’s fundraiser was held in West London and ticket prices cost between $10,000 and $100,000.
Those in attendance were reported to be Donald Trump’s son Donald Junior and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, a close confidante of the former POTUS. Trump was expected to make a virtual appearance via Zoom.
Valance, who played Felicity Scully in Aussie soap Neighbours from 1999 to 2002 and topped the charts with ‘Kiss Kiss’, was pictured alongside Farage and Trump two years ago alongside her husband, the entrepreneur Nick Candy. She has since become something of a poster girl for Farage’s Reform UK, which revealed it had raised £1.5M ($1.9M) yesterday in the days after Farage’s return as leader.
Biden’s fundraiser, hosted by fashion journalism doyen Wintour, cost $1,000 each for tickets. Less details were available but Wintour is a staunch democrat supporter who has hosted events for the party across Europe before.
Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents were able to make donations to the two fundraisers.
The Biden for President committee recently said it raised $180M between January 2023 and April 2024, while Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc was around $60M shy of this figure over the same period.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
