South Asia and Beyond

New Campaign Record: Biden Fundraiser With Obama, Clinton Nets $25M

 New Campaign Record: Biden Fundraiser With Obama, Clinton Nets $25M

FILE: President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and former President Bill Clinton attend at a memorial service for Sen. Robert Byrd, July 2, 2010, at the Capitol in Charleston, W.Va. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are teaming up with President Joe Biden for a glitzy reelection fundraiser Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The event brings together more than three decades of Democratic leadership. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

President Biden made history but not on his own. The president, along with his predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, attended a fundraising event in New York city where a total campaign fund of $25 million was raised. According to AP, this is the highest record of funds for a single political event.

Promoting the event on Wednesday, the president wrote on X: “Folks, you don’t want to miss this one. Join @BarackObama, @BillClinton, and me tomorrow for a grassroots fundraiser as we discuss what’s on the ballot in this election and how we will defeat Trump again.”

The fact that former presidents from the Democratic party came forward to support Biden underlines how seriously the party views Trump as a threat. Though Obama has endorsed Biden in the past, it is uncommon for three presidents to come together in a campaign.  According to the AP report, the money raised in this one event is more than what Trump has managed to get through the whole of February.

Federal filings by both the candidates at the end of February, showed Biden had $71 million in campaign funds, more than $33.5 million than the former president Donald Trump. Trump’s legal challenges have not helped him. A New York Supreme Court ruling which orders Trump $454 million in legal fines have not helped. Since then, Trump has resorted to taking his social media company Truth Social public, and is also selling Bibles at $60, urging his supporters to help “Make America Pray Again.”

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Trump’s campaign team downplayed the importance of the campaign event. Speaking to AP, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said that “crooked Joe is so mentally deficient that he needs to trot out some retreads like Clinton and Obama.” Despite these words, political observers will be worried about the growing gap between Biden and Trump’s campaign finances.

The Biden camp has stepped up their attacks on Trump regarding his lack of money. James Singer, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, said on Monday: “His campaign can’t raise money, he is uninterested in campaigning outside his country club, and every time he opens his mouth, he pushes moderate and suburban voters away with his dangerous agenda.”

According to a poll carried out by the Fox News survey, Trump leads Biden by 50% to 45%. The poll claims that this is the largest lead Trump has had over Biden so far.

Ashwin Ahmad

Traveller, bibliophile and wordsmith with a yen for international relations. A journalist and budding author of short fiction, life is a daily struggle to uncover the latest breaking story while attempting to be Hemingway in the self-same time. Focussed especially on Europe and West Asia, discussing Brexit, the Iran crisis and all matters related is a passion that endures to this day. Believes firmly that life without the written word is a life best not lived. That’s me, Ashwin Ahmad.

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