Biden rakes in $25 million in fundraiser featuring Obama, Clinton and Lizzo

President Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, flew to New York on Thursday for a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton that organizers said raised more than $25 million for Biden's reelection campaign.

President Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, flew to New York on Thursday for a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton that organizers said raised more than $25 million for Biden's reelection campaign. Biden and the two former commanders in chief will take part in a discussion moderated by "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert on Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall in front of thousands of guests.

Musicians Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele are slated to perform. Some high-paying attendees will get their pictures with the three presidents taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. Former President Donald Trump, Biden's Republican challenger in November's election, also was in the New York area, attending a wake for a slain New York City policeman.

Biden, 81, has faced concerns about his age and fitness for a second four-year term. Recent Reuters/Ipsos polls show his approval rating at 40% and a tight race with Trump, who is 77, ahead of the election on Nov. 5. Tickets for Thursday's event, expected to bring some buzz to Biden's reelection effort, cost between $250 and $500,000 apiece, according to a Democrat familiar with the event. The campaign said it raised more than $25 million. More than 5,000 people were expected to attend. The event will not be televised, but the campaign plans to post clips on social media.

Small-dollar donors paid $25 to take part in a separate virtual event with Obama, Biden and Clinton. Democrats hope to show the party's most famous names are unified despite opinion polls showing tepid enthusiasm for Biden and in contrast to a Republican Party with many major figures opposing Trump. "President Obama and President Clinton strongly support President Biden's leadership and obviously his agenda," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday. "We understand the importance of the three of them being together."

Biden has visited all of the top battleground states since a fiery State of the Union address earlier this month, but mostly has spoken to much smaller crowds, part of a deliberate strategy to emphasize interactions with ordinary Americans. The show of support from Obama, who is still enormously popular with Democrats, could bolster enthusiasm from some young voters and other progressives who voted for Biden in 2020 but are furious about his staunch backing of Israel in its response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

Clinton's appeal is less clear-cut. His affair with a White House intern, which nearly cost him the presidency, was scrutinized anew during the #MeToo women's movement, with a new focus on the imbalance of power. The appeal of seeing all three men together gave a jolt to Democratic coffers.

"The numbers don't lie: Today's event is a massive show of force and a true reflection of the momentum to reelect the Biden-Harris ticket," campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg said in a statement. CASH HAUL

On Long Island east of the city, Trump attended a wake for Jonathan Diller, the New York policeman who was gunned down during a routine traffic stop earlier this week in the city. "These things can't happen. We need law and order," Trump, surrounded by mourning uniformed officers, told reporters gathered outside a funeral home in Massapequa.

The former president has sought to make supporting police a focal point of his campaign, while criticizing law enforcement that targets him. Trump faces four criminal trials for his efforts to undermine the 2020 election, his mishandling of classified documents and his involvement in a "hush money" scheme involving a porn star. He was hundreds of millions of dollars for overstating his net worth to lenders. He says he is innocent.

Obama has voiced concerns to Biden that Trump could win, ahead of a shakeup of Biden's team that sent two top White House aides to the Wilmington, Delaware-based campaign. The former president spent time at the White House recently putting together a video highlighting the anniversary of his signature Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Biden is campaigning hard on his efforts to strengthen the law and accuses Republicans of seeking to end it.

Biden's reelection effort raised more than $53 million in February and $10 million in the 24 hours following his March 7 address to Congress. Biden has been routinely outraising Trump. Biden is taking in more money from big donations and small donations under $200. Trump aims to raise $33 million in an April 6 fundraiser, a source familiar with the Republican's plans told Reuters.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)