California State Sen. Scott Wiener's congressional campaign received a substantial financial boost, raising more than $127,600 from approximately 1,090 individual contributions in the four days after a viral video captured his confrontation with protesters at San Francisco's Trans March.
The incident, which occurred on June 26, saw Wiener surrounded and heckled by demonstrators concerned about his position on the war in Gaza. Footage of the event spread rapidly across social media.
During the confrontation, one protester accused Wiener of failing Palestinians in Gaza, stating, "You’ve been terrible, you’ve been terrible on Gaza. You do not belong here anymore, Scott. And it breaks my f—ing heart."
Another protester was heard saying Wiener "stopped being queer the moment he started supporting Israel." The senator walked away from the group without engaging directly.
The viral video drew attention from national and international outlets, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commenting on the footage during a Fox News interview, calling it part of an "anti-Israel and anti-American wave."
Critics of the protesters' actions described the incident as "menacing," "humiliating," and "appalling."
Wiener's campaign had previously noted the video prompted its largest single-day spike in donors since launching his congressional bid. According to the campaign's analysis, 33.5% of the donations came from San Francisco residents, 50.9% from elsewhere in California, and 15.6% from donors outside the state. Notable contributors included Anthropic engineer Wilson Berkow, who donated $999, and TMG Partners developer Charles Gibson, who gave $3,500.
Wiener is currently in a race against San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to represent California's 11th Congressional District, a heavily Democratic area. Both candidates advanced from the June primary. Chan has received support from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and recently raised $100,000 at a fundraiser hosted by Pelosi.
Campaign finance filings indicate Chan raised over $400,000 in the first six months of her campaign and has approximately $362,000 cash on hand. Wiener's campaign account holds about $1.2 million.
The confrontation at the Trans March highlighted Wiener's evolving stance on the Israel-Hamas war. Earlier this year, the Jewish lawmaker stated, "I do believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. To me the Israeli government has tried to destroy Gaza and to push Palestinians out. And that qualifies as genocide."