Trump will attend wake for slain NYPD hero who leaves behind young widow and young son - while Biden lives the high life at star-studded Radio City fundraiser with Clinton and Obama
- The 2020 rivals have very different plans for their respective visits to New York on Thursday
- While Biden kicks his campaign into high gear, Trump will honor a fallen NYPD officer who was killed Monday by a repeat offender
Former President Donald Trump will attend the wake of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller, while President Joe Biden will simultaneously be holding a lavish fundraiser at NYC's iconic Radio City Music Hall.
On Monday, officer Diller was shot and killed in Queens during a routine traffic stop.
Horrifying footage of the incident shows the cop screaming in pain as he died. The three-year veteran of the force leaves behind a wife and one-year-old son.
On Wednesday, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed rumors that Trump was planning to attend the wake Thursday at the Massapequa Funeral Home in New York.
Biden, on the other hand, will spend his evening hobnobbing with donors at a fundraiser that will feature guests including former Democratic presidents Clinton and Obama, as well as a slate of celebrity musical entertainers.
On Wednesday, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed rumors that Trump was planning to attend the wake Thursday at the Massapequa Funeral Home in New York
Guy Rivera, 34, the man believed to have fired the shot that killed Diller, had been arrested 21 times before the incident on Monday, including for nine felonies.
Ahead of the funeral, thousands of NYPD officers were seen gathering at the Massapequa funeral home to witness the arrival of Diller's body.
Also on Thursday, Biden will jet into the Big Apple for an extremely high-profile fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall.
The event will feature musical talents like Lizzo, Queen Latifah, and Ben Platt. It will also include Stephen Colbert moderating a conversation between Biden, and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz will also be onsite to snap portraits of donors with the three Democratic presidents.
The Midtown Manhattan event will be the Biden campaign's biggest fundraising event of this cycle so far.
With both Biden and Trump officially snagging their respective party's nominations in recent weeks, the Biden campaign has been full speed ahead as the incumbent president faces a tough reelection bid.
The 2020 rivals are polling within points of one another, with the edge going to Trump in most swing states for the moment.
Supporters of Biden have begun to publicly share their concern that his reelection odds are fragile and may be seriously jeopardized by third party candidates like RFK Jr.
But, for the time being, Biden has a significant advantage over his opponent on the fundraising front. The Democratic National Committee reporting close to $100million in the bank - more than twice what the RNC is reporting.
With both Biden and Trump officially snagging their respective party's nominations in recent weeks, the Biden campaign has been full speed ahead as the incumbent president faces a tough reelection bid
On Monday, officer Diller was shot and killed in Queens during a routine traffic stop - he leaves behind a wife and one-year-old son
Thousands of law enforcement officers observed the arrival of Diller's body to the upstate New York funeral home, where his service will be held Thursday
Trump, who has always emphasized law and order as a key tenet of his political platform, has been a vocal supporter of the NYPD and takes an especially harsh stance against criminals who murder or otherwise harm law enforcement officials.
During the 2019 during the Major County Sheriffs and Major Cities Chiefs Association Joint Conference: 'In my administration, we strongly believe that criminals who murder cops should get the death penalty.'
Following Diller's tragic killing, New York City Mayor Eric Adams branded the shooting a 'senseless act of violence.'
'I can’t not say it any clearer: It is the good guys against the bad guys, and these bad guys are violent,' Adams, a former cop, added.
Following Rivera's arrest, it emerged that he has a lengthy criminal history including first degree robbery, illegal gun possession and assaults.
