President Joe Biden warned the A-list attendees at Saturday’s Los Angeles fundraiser about Trump’s “scary” potential second term.
Hollywood sensations. On Saturday night, George Clooney and Julia Roberts shared the pedestal with White House residents for President Biden’s record-breaking reelection fundraiser. According to The Ultimate News, A-list headliners from the glitzy guest roster brought their star power to Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre, where the sitting president’s campaign raised more than $30 million for the one-night-only gala.
Within a day of allegedly being caught in controversial headlines about his cognitive health, Biden went all golden in front of a star-studded crowd, with former President Barack Obama by his side.
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel interviewed Biden and Obama at the 7,100-seat glossy venue in Los Angeles, where they also teamed up to tear former President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump a new one. The Biden-Harris campaign announced on Sunday morning that the event raised a historic $30 million, surpassing the $26 million raised in May and setting a new record for a Democratic fundraiser.
Nonetheless, he was outperformed by his front-running presidential campaign rival, whose fundraisers have grown significantly despite his felony convictions. The former president’s campaign claimed that they raised $52.8 million in 24 hours after his guilty verdict on 34 felony counts in the New York hush money trial. Furthermore, the Trump campaign claimed to have raised $50.5 million at a Florida fundraiser in April, setting a new record.
Former President Barack Obama and Joe Biden take aim at Donald Trump
Biden began the conversation with his signature line, “I could have done nothing and done better than him.”
Eventually, Obama charged at Trump’s freshly stamped criminal record, “Look, part of what has happened in the last several years is we’ve normalized behavior that used to be disqualified.”
He went on to say, “The other spectacle of a nominee from one of the two major parties sitting in court and being convicted by a jury of his peers on 34 counts. You have his foundation, which is not allowed to operate because it was engaged in monkey business rather than philanthropy. You had this organization prosecuted for failing to pay taxes. We once shared common core values. We believed in basic honesty. We believe in paying your taxes. We believed in not making fun of [prisoners of war], not politicizing our military, and respecting the ballot.
Obama compared the presidency to a “relay race,” praising Biden’s accomplishments: “I take great pride in what the Biden administration has accomplished…” It serves as a reminder that we do not have to vote solely against something in this election. We have so many things to worry about, and we should be concerned about a whole agenda, but we can take pride in recognizing Joe’s extraordinary work.”
Kimmel had many punches to throw at Trump, referring to him as “Orange Julius Caesar” and “President Danye West.”
As the barrage of fiery comebacks caught up with Biden, he resumed his attack on Trump’s name. “Look, he is the only president, aside from Herbert Hoover, who has lost more jobs than he began with. He has increased the national debt by one trillion dollars. He provided a $2 trillion tax cut for [the super wealthy], which did nothing but increase the debt and affect ordinary people’s ability to function grow,” said the sitting president.
Although jokes flew high at the event, Biden also addressed concerns about a potential second Trump term, which could alter the way the country views a variety of issues, including gay rights, contraception, Roe v Wade, and others.
The event, like the May fundraiser, presented an even more solemn picture. Pro-Palestinian protestors surrounded the LA fundraiser, wearing shirts that read “Not in Our Name” and “Cease Fire Now.” Other signs held up by demonstrators read “Stop Killing Palestinians” amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Reported guest list for Biden’s reelection campaign fundraiser
Thousands of people bought the fundraiser’s tickets, which reportedly cost $250 and went up to $500,000. While the former resulted in a participant sitting far away from the stage, the latter included a package of prime seats, photos with Biden and Obama, and a VIP afterparty ticket.
Some of the prominent figures present at the Hollywood-studded event were:
- George Clooney
- Julia Roberts
- Jimmy Kimmel
- Barbra Streisand
- Jason Bateman
- Jack Black
- Sheryl Lee Ralph
- Kathryn Hahn
- Keegan-Michael Key
- Misha Collins
- Connie Britton
- Mandana Dayani
- Jeri Ryan
- Blake Cooper Griffin
- Adam Met
- Jonathan Del Arco
- Sista Strings
- The Silhouettes
- Bryan Lourd
- Richard Lovett
- Governor Gavin Newsom
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
- The Biden Family, including First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, Ashley Biden, grandchildren Naomi and Maisy Biden, and others.