Still glowing after his largest-ever fundraiser, which included his Democratic predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, President Joe Biden stated Friday that the star-studded Radio City Music Hall event demonstrates “that we are united” in ways Republicans cannot match.
The Biden campaign said it raised a record-breaking $26 million from the sold-out event, which also included late-night star Stephen Colbert as moderator for the presidential trifecta. Biden spent the night in New York before speaking to a separate group of perhaps 200 of his greatest donors and fundraisers from the city and surrounding areas.
“It’s because of you that I can say that we’ve raised more money than any previous Democratic campaign in history,” said Biden, whose reelection campaign said it already had $155 million in cash on hand through the end of February—before Thursday night’s total was taken into account.
“Some of us have been doing this for a year or two.” I don’t ever remember an event like last night,” Biden said of himself and former presidents. He said wistfully, “I’m the president, but I was looking out there, Holy God.”
Vice President Joe Biden stated that “last night it showed the skeptics, it showed the press, it showed everyone that we are united.” President George W. Bush, the only living Republican predecessor, has rejected former President Donald Trump, who is attempting to reclaim the White House.
Even Trump’s former Vice President, Mike Pence, has stated that he is now unwilling to endorse his former boss. Trump and his Save American political action organization both disclose having only $37 million in cash on hand through February.
However, on Thursday night, protesters opposing the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza disrupted the celebration, causing moments of discord. Larger crowds of similar demonstrators gathered outside the building.
Trump has also performed well in certain early surveys in critical swing states, as Biden noted in his Friday remarks to donors. The president projected that his popularity in key areas would increase in the weeks following his State of the Union speech, noting that he had visited every important battleground state in recent weeks and praising “our grassroots organization.”
Biden also attempted to capitalize on Trump and other senior Republicans’ repeated queries about whether the country is better off now than four years ago, when the coronavirus pandemic was still in its early stages and significant parts of the global economy were shutting down.
“Well, Donald, I’m glad you asked the question,” Biden responded, stressing that his government had helped contain the pandemic while maintaining a strong economy and low unemployment rates.
“I have a different focus,” Biden added, introducing a new question he wants people to consider: “Will we be better off four years from now?”
