On July 24, 2024, U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris arrived aboard Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the United States.
Brendan Smirovsky | Reuters
Vice President Kamala Harris‘ ally wall street A private Zoom call was held Wednesday to discuss how to defeat the former president Donald Trump, According to people familiar with the matter.
The call involved dozens of key players financier Supporting Harris, it lasted more than an hour. They include Avenue Capital CEO Marc Lasry, Centerview Partners co-founder Blair Effron, Lazard President Ray McGuire, former Treasury Secretary and veteran banking executive Robert Rubin, businessman Tony Coles, Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp, and 32 Advisors founder Robert Wolf, asset manager Brian Mathis and C Street Advisory Group CEO Jon Henes, according to these people.
People who spoke to CNBC spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely about private matters. CNBC First reported a scheduled conference call Tuesday morning.
People on the call said it was the first time all major players in finance and business were together since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. The goal is to begin organizing a massive fundraiser to support Harris’ campaign.
“We need to raise a lot of money,” someone on the phone described the first part of the conversation.
Rufus Gifford, the Harris campaign’s finance chairman, answered questions and comments on the call while encouraging people to donate to the campaign and help raise money, according to people familiar with the call.
The campaign said it has raised more than $100 million since Biden endorsed Harris on Sunday. But this call and others like it are clearly designed to keep the vice president’s fundraising momentum going in the weeks and months ahead.
Some on the call also encouraged the campaign to increase its efforts to connect with Black voters, according to some people on the call. Another person on the call said others wanted to hear more from the Harris campaign, including the full agenda for the Democratic National Convention.
Harris’ stance on the war between Israel and Hamas, as well as her policy positions on the economy and technology, were also discussed, according to people who participated in the call.
Harris is expected to attend the national convention in Chicago in August after receiving a roll call vote to win the Democratic nomination.
