A campaign fundraiser for US President Joe Biden featuring former White House keepers Barack Obama and Bill Clinton has generated a record amount of more than $25 million. Never before in the history of the USA has so much money been collected at a political event, BTA reported.
Biden, who arrived yesterday afternoon on the presidential plane "Air Force 1", on which both Obama and Clinton were aboard, and Clinton joined in a discussion at the famous New York theater hall "Radio City Music Hall", moderated by the host of "The Late Show" (The Late Show, an American political satirical talk show - note ed.) Steven Kolbèr.
But the event was interrupted several times by protesters who were seated among the huge audience in the hall. They stood up and chanted chants against Biden's policy of supporting Israel in its war with Hamas, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 30,000 people in Gaza.
"Shame on you Joe Biden," shouted one of the demonstrators.
Obama said Biden adheres to clear moral standards on the issue of Israel and is willing to listen to all sides of the dispute and find common ground.
When a protester in the hall interrupted Obama, the former president did not hold back and responded in this way: "You can't just talk without listening. That's what the other side is doing.
Obama added that the point of Biden's re-election campaign is not only to present arguments against former President Donald Trump, but also to highlight the achievements of the Democrat's administration, which has expanded the population's access to health care. has imposed a ceiling on insulin prices and undertaken a unique transition in the field of energy.
Clinton said the economic indicators of the Biden administration have far surpassed those of the Trump era.
"I look at the facts," Clinton said. "And they are that he is doing a wonderful job for America" and deserves a second term.
Before the event, the motorcade with the three leaders passed by hundreds of protesters against Israel's war with "Hamas" in Gaza. Some younger and progressive voters who voted for Biden in 2020 are deeply unhappy with his staunch support for Israel's response to the Hamas onslaught. from October 7.
Protesters disrupted the meticulously organized event, which also included performances by musicians Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele. Some of the event's biggest donors were photographed with the three presidents, and the photos were taken by star photographer Annie Leibovitz.
At the time, Biden's Republican rival in the upcoming election, Donald Trump, was also in the New York area, participating in a vigil for a slain police officer.
The election of the 81-year-old Biden to another four-year term raises concerns because of his age and physical condition. His approval rating is at 40 percent, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, and the race against the 77-year-old Trump in the Nov. 5 election is shaping up to be hotly contested.
In terms of the funds raised for both campaigns, the Republican is at the other pole. His adviser admitted that Trump would not be able to catch up to Biden on this metric and attributed this to the "billionaire" supporters. of the Democrat, describing Trump as a candidate who draws his support from ordinary people and the working class.
Tickets for yesterday's Biden campaign cost between $250,000 and $500,000, a knowledgeable Democratic source told Reuters; such sums cannot but cause debates in society, notes Reuters. Biden's headquarters announced that the event raised more than $25 million.