Trump Rakes In $50 Million In One Night, But Israel-Advocate Adelson Still Holding Out

Less than a week after President Biden raised $25 million at a celebrity-studded New York City event, Donald Trump doubled him up, raking in a whopping $50.5 million at a billionaire's mansion on Saturday. However, Biden still has a big financial edge, as Trump's biggest 2020 donor -- Israel-booster Miriam Adelson -- has yet to give a single dollar. 

"This is likely to be the biggest and one of the most successful fundraising events in political history," GOP rainmaker Brian Ballard told the Wall Street Journal about the Florida event. The gigantic cash haul came at a gathering of 120 guests who paid between $250,000 and $814,000 to attend and hear Trump speak for 45 minutes. Hedge fund billionaire John Paulson, who famously bet big against the housing market before its 2008 collapse, hosted the shindig at his $110 million Palm Beach mansion.  

Despite Trump winning this recent financial shootout, Biden's cash hoard stands at $192 million, about double what Trump has. The Biden campaign says its war chest is the biggest ever for a Democrat at this spot in the political calendar. 

A few of Trump's largest donors from the 2020 election are holding out, including Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman and Elliott Management co-CEO Paul Singer. However, the biggest purse waiting in the wings belongs to Miriam Adelson, widow of Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who died in 2021.

unfortunately" served in the United States Army rather than the Israeli Defense Forces

The Adelsons' foremost policy concern has been ensuring steady financial, military and political support for the State of Israel and aligning Washington with the agenda of Israel's right wing. The Adelsons have been closely allied with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even publishing a free Israeli newspaper that boosts Netanyahu and his Likud party. 

The couple donated a jaw-dropping $90 million to Trump's 2020 campaign, rewarding him for his Israel-catering policies, including relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to contested Jerusalem, exiting the Iran nuclear deal and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967's Six-Day War. Trump also awarded Miriam Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

While observers and campaign sources say Miriam Adelson is expected to open her checkbook, some recent Trump comments have rankled supporters of the State of Israel. 

Trump raised eyebrows in recent weeks by chiding Israel for its handling of the Gaza war, telling Paul Hewitt the country's government is "absolutely losing the PR war" and must "finish [the war] fast." When Hewitt twice threw him a softball by asking if he was "still standing 100% with Israel," Trump chose not to directly answer. 

In an interview with the Adelson-backed Israeli newspaper, Trump said Israel made a "very big mistake" by sharing violent video imagery of its attacks on civilian infrastructure. However, he also touted his record on backing Israel. "In Israel, they say if I ran for office in Israel I'd get 98% of the vote," he said, later adding, "I'm not Jewish. And yet Israel for me is very important."

In the immediate wake of the Oct 7 Hamas invasion of southern Israel, Trump criticized Netanyahu, who'd angered Trump in 2020 by rushing to congratulate Biden on winning the election while Trump was still contesting the outcome. "Bibi could have stayed quiet," Trump told an Israeli journalist. "He has made a terrible mistake."

Meanwhile, via X, Biden took a shot at the company Trump was keeping at his weekend fundraiser, deriding them as a "bunch of hedge fund billionaires who want him to cut Social Security and Medicare and their taxes." He also said "this campaign is Scranton versus Palm Beach."

And hours before the big announcement, the Biden-Harris campaign team on X published a terrible leftwing meme about Biden having more cash than Trump. What's hilarious is that it took three presidents - Clinton - Obama - Biden - and an obese female rapper to raise $25mln. 

"Fascism is when the ruling party brags about forcing you to spend money fighting its attempt to jail the opposition leader for life," one X user said. 

Biden talked like his fundraiser was held at a fire hall in Scranton rather than at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. Headlined by musical and literal heavyweight Lizzo and hosted by Stephen Colbert, the top ticket cost $500,000, so it's safe to say there were plenty of wealthy people in attendance.

Biden relentlessly name-drops the Pennsylvania city where he lived for 11 years. Expect that to continue: The latest Journal poll shows Trump ahead 3 points in that biggest of battleground states.