President Joe Biden joined his two Democratic predecessors on Thursday Star-studded fundraiser His campaign said the Radio City Music Hall show brought in more than $26 million.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attended the event in New York, attended by more than 5,000 supporters, including several protesters He interrupted the program as the three presidents spoke.
Actor and comedian Mindy Kaling hosted the show, which concluded around 10 p.m. Late-night host Stephen Colbert moderates conversations with Biden, Clinton and Obama. Special guests include celebrities such as Queen Latifah, LizzoBen Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele.
During the nearly hour-long hosted talk, Colbert joked that the moment was historic because “three presidents came to New York and not one of them showed up” for the criminal prosecution of former President Donald Trump. Prosecutions and civil trials were slammed.
Clinton also lashed out at Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, saying he “had a great few years because he stole them from Barack Obama.”
But the discussion was interrupted at least five times by protesters. Colbert acknowledged one of the protesters and asked Biden about the U.S. role in ensuring a peaceful and prosperous future for Israelis and Palestinians.
Biden said more action was needed to provide relief to Gaza, but added that Israel’s survival was at stake.
“There has to be a train to a two-state solution,” Biden said. “It doesn’t have to last until today. There has to be a progression. I think we can do that.”
His answer earned a standing ovation and chants of “four more years.”
“You can’t talk and not listen,” Obama sternly told one protester when he was interrupted.
“This is part of democracy,” Obama added. “Part of democracy isn’t just talking. It’s listening. That’s what the other side does, and it’s important that we understand that we can have clear morals and have deeply held beliefs but still recognize that the world is complex and it These problems are difficult to solve.”
The crowd burst into applause.
Biden team has taken steps Minimize distractionsincluding downsizing events and holding onto exact locations for longer than usual. January speech Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted him about a dozen times.
Outside the New York venue on Thursday, more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters chanted slogans such as “Biden, Biden, you are a liar” and waved Palestinian flags and signs with anti-war messages.
The group “Dump Biden” is encouraging people to protest the White House’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war during the president’s visit.
“We cannot stand idly by as our president fuels and abets genocide in Gaza,” Mosab Sadiya, the group’s New York co-chair, said in a statement. “The movement to abandon Biden has only just begun.”
The novelty of having three presidents in the same room at Radio City Music Hall was not lost on attendees.
In the early stages of the program, Carlin joked that when Biden, Obama and Clinton were in the same room, the three would turn around when someone called “Mr. President.”
Tickets start at $250, but the largest donation is as high as $500,000. Photographer Annie Leibovitz photographed some of the biggest donors with all three presidents.
First lady Jill Biden called the plan “the fundraiser to end all fundraisers.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) also spoke.
The fundraiser capped a day of mobilization for the three presidents, which included interviews with the “SmartLess” podcast, which the White House said will air at an unspecified date at a later date.
They also held discussions with Biden’s campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, which was livestreamed to grassroots donors. The presidents talked about reelection efforts — Clinton and Obama both served two terms — as well as lighter topics, such as favorite ice cream.
“You’re all part of an incredible team that we’re building, and we’re just getting started,” Biden said at the end of the discussion. “So let’s keep going. Let’s win this November. “
The three arrived at Radio City Music Hall in the presidential car “The Beast” in a motorcade.
An Obama aide told NBC News that Biden invited Obama to ride on the Beast after landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where they enjoyed their personal and professional lives.
The unity shown between Biden, Clinton and Obama stands in stark contrast to Trump, who faces opposition from members of his own party. own managementincluding former Vice President Mike Penceas he seeks to return to the White House in November.
Former President George W. Bush is the only Republican former president to refuse to endorse Trump in 2020.
The Trump campaign has not held a major event since March 16. early Thursday, Trump attends wake A New York police officer shot to death in Queens on Monday.
According to a March CNBC poll, Biden and Trump are polling neck and neck, with 46% of voters supporting Trump and 45% supporting Biden. However, when respondents were asked which candidate performed best on economic issues, the poll showed Trump leading Biden by 30 points.
During Thursday’s moderated discussion, Colbert asked Clinton what he would say to voters who don’t think the economy is strong. Clinton responded that the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic were still affecting voters, and that Trump had not maintained the economic growth spurred by Obama. Clinton said Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris methodically “put Humpty Dumpty back together.”
“We should not make the mistakes of 2016 again,” he added, referring to Trump’s defeat of his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
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