President Joe Biden is set to join former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton at a high-profile fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The event, which will feature a conversation with late-night host Stephen Colbert, aims to attract big-pocketed donors as Biden seeks to join the ranks of two-term Democratic presidents. The tickets for the fundraiser range from $225 to $500,000, with the highest-paying guests getting the opportunity to have their photographs taken with the three presidents by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz.
More than 5,000 donors are expected to attend the event, along with celebrities like Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, and Lea Michele. The fundraiser is being held off-camera, but pool reporters will be able to report on the remarks made by the three presidents during the event. The presence of three out of the four living Democratic presidents in the same room, with Jimmy Carter being unable to attend due to receiving hospice care, highlights the crucial stakes that Biden and Democrats believe are at hand in his contest against former President Donald Trump.
While the main events of the fundraiser are geared towards the highest-paying donors, the campaign is also hosting a separate “pre-program” for grassroots donors, featuring campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez and appearances by Biden, Obama, and Clinton. The fundraiser has proven to be successful, with the Biden campaign raising over $25 million ahead of the event, making it the most successful single political fundraiser ever in terms of dollars raised. Around a third of the funds came from small-dollar, grassroots donations of $200 or less made online.
The fundraiser in New York is expected to be just the beginning of Obama’s involvement in Biden’s campaign. The former president has recorded content with Biden at the White House that will be rolled out over the following weeks. Obama is anticipated to take on a larger role in the campaign, including traveling to college campuses and key battleground states closer to the November election. Biden has faced protests regarding his support for Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, with demonstrators in New York calling for a ceasefire. Biden has also acknowledged the need for more care in Gaza and called for a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
In contrast to Biden’s fundraising efforts, former President Trump was also in New York attending the wake of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed in Queens during a traffic stop earlier in the week. Trump expressed his condolences and emphasized the need for tougher measures to address law and order issues. Sources familiar with Trump’s campaign efforts anticipate raising at least $33 million at an upcoming event with some of the highest GOP donors in attendance. The Biden campaign, however, has seen success in fundraising both from high-dollar donors and grassroots supporters, with supporters contributing as little as $25 invited to a virtual pre-program with the three presidents.
