New York:
US President Joe Biden joined his predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in a blockbuster fundraising event in New York on Thursday as he raised $25 million for his re-election campaign.
The Democrat’s gala was held at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, about an hour’s drive from where his Republican rival Donald Trump had earlier attended a wake for a New York police officer killed in the line of duty.
As Biden secured financial support ahead of the November election, pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested outside the venue, with some in the hall whistling and shouting before being led away.
Biden’s campaign announced before the event that it had raised a “record” amount of more than $25 million, noting that it was more than Trump raised in all of February.
Thursday’s event had a celebrity flair.
Before the 42nd, 44th and 46th presidents of the United States sat down for a Q&A hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert, singers Queen Latifah and Lizzo Lizzo and others warmed up the room. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour also attended the event.
The discussion was peppered with serious topics and jokes, and ended with Obama and Clinton joining Biden in wearing his favorite accessory, aviator sunglasses.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung blasted the “glitzy fundraisers … and their elitist, out-of-touch celebrity donors” on the social network X.
-“Numbers don’t lie”-
Earlier in the day, Trump issued a brief statement after attending a memorial service for police officer Jonathan Diller, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Monday.
“We have to stop it. We have to restore law and order,” the 77-year-old billionaire said, without directly criticizing his 81-year-old rival.
Trump focused his campaign on cracking down on illegal immigration and criticized Biden for lax policing.
The White House said Biden called New York Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday to express condolences over Diller’s killing.
Democrats have not yet been in contact with the officer’s family but are “saddened” for them, said Carine Jean-Pierre, a spokesperson for the Democrats, adding that the president “has stood with law enforcement throughout his career.” together and will continue to stand with them.”
Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that Biden is “deeply grateful for the sacrifices police officers make to keep our communities safe.”
Biden and Trump are facing off at the ballot box in 2020, with hopes of winning their respective parties’ nominations in this summer’s November presidential election.
However, the star-studded Biden fundraiser highlighted his party’s ability to raise cash.
Guests at the event could pay $100,000 to take a photo with the trio, NBC News reported.
“The numbers don’t lie: today’s event was a massive show of force and a true reflection of the Biden-Harris reelection momentum,” Jeffrey Katzenberg, the campaign’s chief fundraiser, said in a statement. He was referring to Vice President Kamala. Harris.
Biden’s campaign coffers are deeper than those of his Republican rivals, who have spent some of the money raised by their supporters on legal expenses in the multiple court cases he faces.
Trump’s trial for allegedly covering up a 2016 hush-money payment to a porn star during his campaign for his first term as president begins April 15 in New York.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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