At a major event in New York, President Joe Biden raised $25 million to battle his Republican opponent Donald Trump. “Biden, Obama and Clinton emerged from the floor with Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” in the background, so you know what the atmosphere is,” says correspondent Jan Postma.
Biden raises a record amount in New York, with Obama and Clinton on stage
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It was an evening full of glamor and stars, with not only the president and two former presidents, but also stars such as Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt and Stephen Colbert. “On this evening alone, 25 million dollars were raised,” says Postma. ‘I think that’s a record for one evening. There were 5,000 big and small backers in the Radio City Music Hall, a beautiful and legendary hall in New York.
“They also wanted to show that there is enthusiasm about Biden and that the party really stands behind him.”
Yet it was about more than just money, says Postma. ‘They also wanted to show that there is enthusiasm for Biden and that the party really stands behind him. In this way they emphasize the contrast with the Republicans. George W. Bush would never raise money for Trump. Former Vice President Mike Pence doesn’t support him either. The Democrats want to show that they do things differently.’
On the financial front, Biden beats Trump
It is clear that the Trump campaign is raising much less money than Biden’s. ‘For comparison: at the end of last month Biden had a hundred million dollars in cash. Trump had less than half of that, about 45 million. What Biden now raises in one evening is more than Trump raised in the entire month of February.’
The Republicans have announced their own major fundraiser in Florida in April. They hope to raise $33 million in one day, which would be a new record. “It still has to happen, of course,” says Postma. He points out that major Republican donors are somewhat cautious about donations, partly because they see that a large part of campaign money goes to Trump’s lawsuits.
Also read | ‘Trump’s bubble as a rich man has burst’
‘Elitist Biden’ versus popular Trump
The question is whether the lack of money makes a difference for Trump, who can count on very loyal supporters and does not always play by the rules anyway. For example, the former president went to the wake of a murdered police officer during Biden’s fundraiser. ‘And that is what right-wing media is now mainly reporting about. That elitist Biden rakes in a lot of money, while Trump at least cares about crime and cops.’
Also read | Trump still has to win over swing voters
