President Biden, who faces an approval rating deficit with seven months until the November election, will receive some support Thursday from his two immediate Democratic predecessors in the White House.
Biden will join former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton at a huge fundraising rally in New York City, which his campaign says will raise more than $25 million for Biden’s re-election bid. That’s what it means.
The star-studded event included what was billed as an “armchair conversation” with three presidents hosted by late-night TV talk show host Stephen Colbert, as well as interviews with Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Ben Platt, Cynthia… It will include musical performances by Erivo, Lea Michele and others.
The campaign says more than 5,000 people will attend the rally, which will be held at the prestigious Radio City Music Hall in midtown Manhattan.
Can Trump go toe-to-toe with Biden in the 2024 fundraising battle?
President Obama stands alongside Vice President Biden and former President Clinton at the White House on May 27, 2010. World Cup Soccer Team of the United States. The president is scheduled to share the stage with Obama and Clinton in New York on Thursday. his re-election campaign. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Ticket prices start at $225 for admission, $100,000 for a photo op with all three presidents, and $250,000 to $500,000 for an intimate reception with Biden, Obama, and Clinton. is. The fundraising effort will help Biden build on his already formidable financial advantage over his Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump.
“The numbers don’t lie. Today’s events were a massive show of force and truly reflect the momentum toward re-election on the Biden-Harris ticket,” said campaign co-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg. emphasized in the statement.
“This historic fundraising is a demonstration of our strong enthusiasm for President Biden and Vice President Harris, and a testament to the unprecedented fundraising machine we have built,” Katzenberg said.
What the latest FOX News national poll shows in the Biden-Trump rematch
Just as importantly, the three presidents teaming up is intended as a show of force to rally the Democratic base behind Biden.
“This is a great event that represents the Mount Rushmore of modern Democratic presidents,” Maria Cardona, a longtime Democratic strategist, told Fox News.
Cardona, a veteran of the Clinton administration who later served as a surrogate for President Obama during his two presidential campaigns and Mr. Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, and who reprized that role this year, said the three presidents have been “the Democratic Party’s policy surrogate.” It will make a clear statement about how significant it has been.” To this country and to American families. ”
President Biden speaks at the Washoe Democratic Party office on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Reno, Nevada. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
Presidents have an advantage over their predecessors in fundraising battles in presidential election rematches, but Trump currently has an early advantage over Biden. poll – Most national polls and polls in six key battleground states show the incumbent narrowly winning the 2020 White House.
Republicans lead Democrats on this key motive in Biden-Trump rematch
That includes a 5-point advantage for Trump over Biden in both head-to-head and five-way voting in a Fox News national poll conducted March 22-25 and released Wednesday. include.
The fundraiser comes less than a week after President Obama spent several hours at the White House and met with the former vice president. But it was far from a social gathering.
President Biden and former President Barack Obama arrive before the unveiling of official portraits of President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama during a ceremony at the White House on September 7, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The two presidents, along with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, spearheaded an organizational meeting to highlight the 14th anniversary of the landmark health care law known as the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama stopped by the White House to reportedly warn President Biden that his rematch with President Trump in 2024 will be very close.
Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to President Obama, said the former president would “do everything in his power” to support Biden, adding, “I am committed to helping Democrats appeal to voters, both at the top and bottom of the polls, this fall.” I’m looking forward to it.”
“Our strategy will be driven by momentum, especially when and where his voice can make a difference,” Schultz added in a statement.
The Trump campaign ridiculed the fundraiser, with spokesman Stephen Chan claiming the event was a sign that the president needs to “eliminate backtracking like Clinton and Obama.”
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Biden, 81, who made history four years ago as the oldest president in U.S. history, continues to face questions about his mental and physical endurance, even with his recent energetic State of the Union address. Will continue.
The president also needs to show he can energize key parts of the Democratic base: young voters, progressives, blacks and Latinos. Biden also faces protests at the primary ballot box over his support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza, materialized as an “uncommitted” vote.
But the former president is also dealing with a number of issues.
Former President Trump speaks at a political rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump, who made history last year as the first president or former president to be indicted on criminal charges, is currently facing four major trials and a total of four major lawsuits, including federal lawsuits over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his handling of classified documents. He faces 91 charges. There is also a massive civil fraud judgment that Trump is appealing. He will have to balance his court appearances with his campaign time.
Mr. Trump, 77, will also need to reach out to the large swath of Republican voters who backed Nikki Haley for the party’s nomination. The former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor was Trump’s last remaining rival until he ended his White House campaign earlier this month. Haley’s endorsement spotlights Trump’s weakness with suburban and highly educated voters.
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
