Some of Hollywood's biggest stars headlined a fundraiser for President Joe Biden that raised greater than $30 million for a Democratic candidate, in response to his campaign, in hopes of mobilizing potential supporters for what may very well be one of the vital consequential White House races in U.S. history.
George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand were amongst those that took the stage on the 7,100-seat Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel interviewed Biden and former President Barack Obama, each of whom stressed the necessity to defeat former President Donald Trump in a race that is predicted to be extremely close.
During the greater than half-hour discussion, Kimmel asked if the country was affected by amnesia concerning the likely Republican nominee, to which Biden replied, “We just need to remember what it was like” when Trump was within the White House.
More and more entertainment industry figures are supporting Biden's campaign, and the importance of the event for his re-election was demonstrated by Biden's decision to fly through the night across nine time zones to attend the G7 summit in southern Italy.
He also missed a summit in Switzerland to debate ending Russia's war in Ukraine, as an alternative sending Vice President Kamala Harris, who made a whirlwind trip of her own, to represent the United States there – a stark reminder of the fragile balance between geopolitics and Biden's drive to win a second term.
The political implications were made even clearer by the police in riot gear outside the theater. Nearby, a gaggle of protesters indignant on the Biden administration's handling of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza demonstrated.
At the fundraiser, Jack Black and Sheryl Lee sang Ralph, and actors Kathryn Hahn and Jason Bateman introduced Kimmel, who himself introduced Biden and Obama. The comedian said with a serious expression, “I was told I'm being introduced by Batman, not Bateman.”
But he quickly moved on to way more serious issues. “There's so much at stake in this election,” mentioning women's rights and health care, and noting that “even the ballot is on the ballot,” referring to the Biden administration's calls for expanded voting rights.
Kimmel asked the president what accomplishments he was most happy with, and Biden said he believes “the administration's approach to the economy is working.”
“We have the strongest economy in the world today,” Biden said, adding, “We're trying to give ordinary people a fair chance.”
Trump spent Saturday campaigning in Detroit and criticized Biden's handling of the economy and inflation. The president had “raised funds with out-of-touch, elite Hollywood celebrities,” said Trump's campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
Biden, nevertheless, told the group in California, “We have passed every major piece of legislation we set out to pass.” And Obama expressed admiration for the excellent laws on health care, public works, the environment, technology production, gun safety and other vital initiatives that his former vice chairman's administration has overseen.
“What we're seeing now is a byproduct of 2016. There were a whole bunch of people who didn't vote for whatever reason,” said Obama, who, like Biden, wore a dark suit and a white open-collar shirt.
Referring to the Supreme Court, Obama added: “Hopefully we have learned our lesson, because this election matters in very real ways.”
Trump nominated three justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling guaranteeing a constitutional right to abortion. The crowd expressed displeasure on the mention of Roe, to which Obama responded, “Don't hiss, vote.” That was a reference to his usual refrain of prioritizing voting over booing.
Biden said the president-elect in November could have the possibility to nominate two recent justices. However, given the present 6-3 conservative majority, a second Biden term would likely not result in drastic restructuring of the court.
He also said that if Trump were to recapture the White House, “one of the scariest aspects” could be the Supreme Court and that it had “never been this far out of step.”
Biden also referred to reports that an upside-down flag was flown outside the house of Chief Justice Samuel Alito in January 2021 – a logo related to Trump's false claims of election fraud. He feared on Saturday that if Trump is re-elected, he’ll “appoint two more who will fly their flags upside down.”
Kimmel offered his special brand of humor throughout the evening, at one point asking how a president could take revenge on a chat show host who makes fun of him every night on television.
“Ever heard of Delta Force?” Biden replied, referring to the Army’s special forces unit.
Earlier within the show, Kimmel mentioned Biden's campaign promise to revive the soul of America, saying, “Lately, it seems like we need an exorcism.” He then asked Biden, “Is that why you visited the pope?” Biden and Pope Francis met in Italy on Friday.
The amount raised surpassed the then-record $26 million raised by Biden's March fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York, where late-night host Stephen Colbert interviewed Biden, Obama and former President Bill Clinton.
Biden initially led the race for campaign funds against Trump, but since formally securing the Republican nomination, the previous president has been capable of regain ground.
Trump outdid Biden's New York event by raking in $50.5 million at an April gathering of major donors on the Florida home of billionaire investor John Paulson. The former president's campaign and the Republican National Committee announced they raised a whopping $141 million in May, boosted by tens of thousands and thousands of dollars in donations received after Trump's guilty verdict in his hush money trial.
This post-conviction increase got here after Trump and the Republican Party announced they’d raised $76 million in April, excess of the $51 million raised by Biden and the Democrats for that month.
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