The planned wake for Diller was scheduled just hours before Biden was set to appear at a very different kind of event: a big-money campaign fundraiser featuring A-list celebrities like Lizzo and Stephen Colbert and former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

That could make Biden appear like the candidate of Manhattan liberal elites while Trump mixes with grieving police officers in a heavily Republican corner of Long Island, where the GOP has made gains in recent years.

“He’s selling the message that I’m here for the regular people and that plays to his advantage,” said Doug Muzzio, a New York political analyst. “The image of him celebrating an officer’s life may have resonance to many people.”

Jacob Rubashkin, an analyst with Inside Electons, said Trump wants to underline his working-class New York roots, even though he’s a billionaire who lives in Florida.

“No matter where he gets his mail, the guy is a New Yorker, and he’s going to want to show face in his city,” Rubashkin said.

The White House is clearly keen to defuse any political advantage Trump might seek to gain from the two rivals’ dueling visits to New York.

Biden called Mayor Eric Adams earlier Thursday and asked the mayor to pass on condolences to the family of Diller.

On Air Force One en route to New York, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden has been a strong supporter of law enforcement and has presided over declining crime rates since taking office.

“Our hearts go out to the officer’s family and the broader NYPD family who have tragically lost one of their own,” said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. “The president grieves for them and honors their sacrifice.”

Trump’s campaign showed no signs of pulling punches about what it called a “stark contrast” between Trump and Biden.

“Trump will be honoring the legacy of Officer Diller and paying respects,” said Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman. “Meanwhile, the Three Stooges—Biden, Obama, and Clinton—will be at a glitzy fundraiser in the city with their elitist, out-of-touch celebrity benefactors.”

Diller, 31, a married father of a 1-year-old son, was fatally shot Monday during a traffic stop in Far Rockaway. His wake will be held in suburban Massapequa, a conservative GOP stronghold.

Diller was the first New York City police officer killed in the line of duty in two years. Two NYPD officers, Wilbert Mora, 27, and Jason Rivera, 22, were slain during an ambushed in a Harlem apartment building after responding to a domestic disturbance call on Jan. 21, 2022.

Biden visited the NYPD headquarters and spoke to officers and top brass in the days after that double cop-killing.

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