With plans for massive protest underway, Pence cancels $100k Beverly Hills fundraiser

Since taking office, one of the only remotely normal activities Donald Trump and Mike Pence have engaged in is attending fundraisers, and because Democratic candidates are surging at the state and local level, they have their work cut out.

Last month, the Los Angeles Times reported Pence would co-host a $100,000 fundraiser in Beverly Hills with GOP House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. The fundraiser, held at the Beverly Hilton with tickets ranging from $2,700 to $100,000, was meant to benefit the California Victory 2018 joint fundraising committee. This committee is raising money for embattled California GOP congressmen, like partisan strongman Darrell Issa and Putin apologist Dana Rohrabacher.

But at the last moment, Pence canceled. According to Pence and the Beverly Hills Police Department, he is leaving to assist with hurricane recovery efforts, although it is not clear where or how he will be helping these efforts.

The protests planned by Los Angeles residents can hardly have made Pence more confident, either.

Over 2,000 people expressed interest in the Indivisible Facebook page organizing protests. Angelica Salas, director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, also planned to protest outside the event over the Trump administration’s order to end DACA, proclaiming, “They’re going to face our families.”

Pence may or may not actually plan to contribute to hurricane relief efforts, but either way, it is abundantly clear that he and his fellow Republicans picked the wrong state to ask for money.