Biden, Obama, Clinton rake in record $25 million at NYC campaign stop, glitzy fundraiser marred by Palestine protests

U.S. President Joe Biden, former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton participate in a discussion moderated by Stephen Colbert, host of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, during a campaign fundraising event at Radio City Music Hall in New York, U.S.

US President Joe Biden, accompanied by former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, hosted a high-profile fundraising event in New York on Thursday. The event, held at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, raised over $25 million for Biden’s re-election campaign. This amount surpassed what his Republican rival, Donald Trump, raised throughout February.

The Democratic event was star-studded, featuring performances by singers Queen Latifah and Lizzo. The trio of presidents engaged in a question-and-answer session moderated by comedian Stephen Colbert, with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour also present. The discussion blended serious topics with humor, culminating in all three presidents donning aviator sunglasses, a favorite accessory of Biden.

Guests at Biden’s fundraising event had the opportunity to pay $100,000 for a photo with the trio. Jeffrey Katzenberg, the campaign’s chief fundraiser, commented on the event’s success, stating, “The numbers don’t lie: today’s event is a massive show of force and a true reflection of the momentum to reelect the Biden-Harris ticket,” referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.

While Biden’s event was in full swing, pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested outside the venue. Inside the hall, several protestors disrupted the event before being escorted out.

In response to the event, Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, criticized the “glitzy fundraiser” on social media, emphasizing its association with “elitist, out-of-touch celebrity benefactors.”

Earlier that day, Trump attended the wake of police officer Jonathan Diller, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop on Monday. Trump called for a return to “law and order” but refrained from directly criticizing his political rival, Biden. Much of Trump’s campaign focus remains on criticizing Biden’s stance on policing and illegal immigration.

The White House reported that Biden had called New York Mayor Eric Adams to express his condolences for Diller’s death. Although Biden has not directly contacted the officer’s family, his spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated that the president “grieves” with them. She highlighted Biden’s longstanding support for law enforcement, emphasizing that he has “stood with law enforcement his entire career.”

Currently, Biden holds a more substantial campaign fund compared to Trump, who is allocating some of his raised funds for legal expenses related to multiple ongoing court cases. Trump is set to face trial in New York on April 15 for allegedly concealing hush money payments to a porn star during his first presidential campaign in 2016.

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