New York, March 30:
Three Democratic presidents convened here on Thursday, an unprecedented event in the history of the White House, to publicly disparage and tease another former president. They attacked Donald Trump on issues such as the economy, immigration, abortion, his morality, and even his golf game.
Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton took turns outlining the implications of the approaching election and addressing the sold-out crowd of 5,000 times why Trump should never be president again at a fundraiser that President Biden's campaign claimed earned more than $26 million.
At Radio City Music Hall, Obama declared, "We've got not just a nominee, but frankly a party and an entire infrastructure that increasingly seems unconcerned with the essence of America." Mindy Kaling, Ben Platt, and Lizzo were among the celebrities who performed at the event.
Clinton made fun of Trump for claiming the glory for the achievements of the Democrats. Clinton remarked, "I listened to him tell us how awful the American economy was all throughout 2016." "And then, following the inauguration in January 2017, it had suddenly and miraculously turned into something amazing."
Biden compared himself to Trump as an oblique way of addressing age-related concerns. He remarked, "This guy denies there's global warming." "This person wants to eliminate not just Roe v. Wade, which he proudly claims to have accomplished, but also everyone's right to choose anyplace in the United States. The things he is doing are all so ancient. a little out of shape and elderly.
The fundraiser, which according to Biden's campaign broke records for a political event, culminated a period of increased presidential activity and marked the most recent attempt by his allies to change the course of the election, in which Biden has been the target of Democratic concern due to his advanced age and declining approval ratings.
In an effort to paint Trump as the weakest and most unprepared contender in the contest, Biden's campaign has adopted a more aggressive tone in recent weeks. The 81-year-old Biden stated on Thursday that he would "be happy" to challenge the 77-year-old Trump to a round of golf.
"I had already told him this when he entered the Oval before he was sworn in," Biden remarked. To laughing, Biden said, "I told you, 'I'll give you three strokes if you carry your own bag.'"
Although pro-Palestinian demonstrators repeatedly disrupted the event, the group of Democratic donors—who paid anything from $225 to $500,000 to attend and, in some cases, take selfies with the presidents—was largely cordial. A sizable gathering of protestors outside denounced Biden's handling of the Gaza conflict and screamed "Genocide Joe!" Some of them even got into physical altercations with police.
All three men discussed the war, pondering the impossibility of attempting to resolve unsolvable problems like Middle East peace while serving as president. "Too many innocent victims, Israeli and Palestinian," according to Biden, have been lost in this fight.
Obama stated that Biden is dealing with a deeply painful situation that is more nuanced than many would like to admit. Obama remarked, "I think it's understandable that people frequently want to feel certain about how those decisions are made." "But a president isn't entitled to that comfort."
Obama replied angrily, saying, "No, no listen," as the demonstrators got louder. You can't just chat without paying attention. The opposing side acts in this manner. Furthermore, we can acknowledge that the world is complicated and that solving these issues is difficult while still understanding that it is possible to have moral clarity and firmly held convictions.
The three presidents addressed questions by continuously criticising Trump throughout the remainder of the discussion, which was hosted by comedian and late-night host Stephen Colbert. Clinton attacked Trump, claiming he was "good at branding and blaming" but not at solving issues, and accused him of trying to sabotage a bipartisan immigration agreement.
Obama claimed that fundamental American values "were not just de-emphasized, but were violated" during Trump's four years in power. On January 6, 2021, Biden criticised his predecessor for how he handled the uprising at the US Capitol, claiming that "we had no president" that day.
Obama occasionally utilised his comments to stress the significance of presenting an affirmative argument for Biden, even though the three men and Colbert devoted a significant amount of time to discussing Trump.
Obama said, "I think it's worth adding, it's not just the negative case against the presumptive nominee on the other side," following Biden's initial response, which focused primarily on Trump. "It's the affirmative case for someone who has performed exceptionally well."
Obama has previously voiced his worries on the current status of Biden's reelection campaign. Obama pushed Biden to strengthen his campaign machinery and take more aggressive action to thwart Trump's scheduled march to the White House over a private lunch with Biden last year.
On Thursday, Trump travelled to New York to attend the wake of Jonathan Diller, a New York City police officer who died on Monday while performing his duties.
Trump, who has frequently held Biden accountable for violent crimes, told reporters outside the wake, "We have to get back to law and order." This is not working, so we need to change a number of things. This occurs far too frequently.
Colbert used Thursday's event as a chance to poke fun at Trump for being the target of numerous criminal allegations. Colbert remarked, "This is a really exciting and unique occasion." "All three presidents have visited New York." And none of them are here to attend a court appearance.
Although Biden has established a significant financial edge over his predecessor, Trump and his advisors are working to narrow the difference. One adviser estimates that the event may collect $33 million. He wants to organise a fundraiser in Mar-a-Lago next week, which will be attended by numerous billionaires.
According to campaign aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Biden was scheduled to meet with his campaign's top officials on Friday, March 29, in New York during a campaign finance retreat. There, his team was expected to present a thorough briefing on the status of the presidential race and talk about internal strategy.
A briefing on the most recent polls, a conversation about possible winning strategies, and an outline of the campaign's resource allocation in battleground states were all scheduled for the gathering.
