Former President Donald Trump returning to Louisiana to collect millions in campaign cash
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Former President Donald Trump is expected to net millions of dollars toward his White House comeback bid Tuesday at a fundraiser in Louisiana, where he remains popular among voters and donors.
Wealthy retired banker Joseph Canizaro is playing host to Trump's fundraiser at Canizaro's home in Metairie, where donors will ante up $23,200 to attend.
Trump's legal woes, among them an indictment in which he is accused of illegally keeping classified documents at his home after he left office, have only seemed to energize his donors. He raised $35 million in the second quarter.
And there are few places where the former president remains more popular than Louisiana, a state he visited seven times during his term, more times than any other sitting president, as well as another time as president-elect.
Trump had a 78% approval rating among Republicans in a February poll paid for by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry's campaign for governor and conducted by KA Consulting. Trump has endorsed Landry in his bid for governor.
More recently, Trump had a 55% approval rating among all Louisiana voters in an independent poll conducted by Kaplan Strategies of Florida.
"(Trump) remains a formidable force, particularly in Louisiana," said Louisiana pollster John Couvillon. "He obviously strikes a chord here."
Couvillon released a national poll Sunday in which 53% of Republicans surveyed said they will support Trump in next year's Republican primary elections.
Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvich said Trump continues to energize voters here.
"Louisiana Republicans are thrilled to have President Trump back in our state," Gurvich said Sunday in a text to USA Today Network.
Trump relishes his popularity here, where he beat Hillary Clinton 58% to 38% and President Joe Biden 58% to 40%.
"Louisiana, a state I love very much, and based on the votes I should love it," Trump said during a 2019 visit to the Cameron Liquefied Natural Gas plant in Hackberry near Lake Charles.
More: Donald Trump endorses Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry in Louisiana governor's race
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Trump returning to Louisiana to collect millions in campaign cash
