Former President Donald Trump will be in San Francisco Thursday for a fundraiser organized by tech billionaires — and a 30-foot-tall inflatable bird lookalike will greet him.
The Trump Chicken stands three stories tall and has a golden side-swept hairstyle and a black and white prison uniform. Danelle Morton, one of the demonstration’s organizers, rushed to gather a crew to send the bird across San Francisco Bay during the fundraising event.
Danelle Morton
“I think the point about sailing the chicken needs to be made, right? I mean, it would be so much better if we did it with the guy actually standing there. But even if we don’t, I think like just getting it done is a win,” Morton said.
It’s not the first time the bird has loomed over San Francisco. Morton and other organizers first erected the chicken in 2017 during the city’s Trump Tax March; they blew it up again for a new appearance in 2018and again in 2021 after Biden was elected.
The Trump Chicken has been collecting dust in a warehouse ever since. Morton said she never thought there would be an opportunity to bring the bird out again.
Trump’s fundraiser will be co-hosted by David and Jacqueline Sacks and investor Chamath Palihapitiya. David Sacks stands out as Trump’s champion among San Francisco’s elite, who are instead spending heavily on Democratic campaigns.
Invitations advertise VIP tickets to the event at $50,000 per person, but those wishing to join the host committee must cough up $300,000 each.
Chicken aside, Trump’s upcoming visit hasn’t yet sparked any murmurings about larger demonstrations. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s fundraising trip to the Bay Area last month was met with dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters.
