Pro-Palestine protesters disrupt Biden’s star-studded ‘historic’ fundraiser

Joe Biden record-breaking $25m (£19.8m) fundraiser featuring Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and a smattering of celebrities, was marred by pro-Palestine protesters on Thursday night, who denounced the President as a “war criminal”.

The fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York City got off to an inauspicious start when the three presidents were shouted down by protesters.

One woman warned Mr Biden he had “blood on his hands” over his stance on the war in Gaza, the Daily Mail reports. Another shouted: “You’re out of your f—ing minds.”

Although they were removed by security, the event was interrupted at least five times by demonstrators, according to US media.

Mr Obama told off a protester when he was cut short in the middle of an answer, saying: “You can’t just talk and not listen… that’s what the other side does.”

Hundreds of pro-Palestine activists gathered outside as the event got under way, where they called the US President a “war criminal” and labelled him “Genocide Joe”.

They were closely watched by lines of police officers standing guard at the barricades placed outside the hall. At least one individual was reportedly arrested for disorderly conduct.

Trump the ‘punchline of gags’

Mr Biden, Mr Obama and Mr Clinton were interviewed by Stephen Colbert, a late-night talk show host, and the campaign had booked performers like Queen Latifah, Lizzo and Ben Platt to entertain guests at the event.

Colbert, in an armchair conversation with the trio, called them “champion talkers” and joked that the three presidents had come to town “and not one of them is here to appear in court,” a dig at Mr Trump’s many legal troubles.

Mr Obama praised Mr Biden’s willingness to look for common ground and said: “That’s the kind of president I want.” Mr Clinton said simply of the choices facing voters in 2024: “Stay with what works.”

Meanwhile, Mr Biden attacked Mr Trump, saying his expected GOP rival’s ideas were “a little old and out of shape”.

During the nearly hourlong conversation, Mr Obama and Mr Clinton explained just how hard Mr Biden’s job is. They spoke of loneliness and frustration over policies that work but aren’t immediately felt by the public.

They gave an insider’s view of the office as they sought to explain why Mr Biden was best for the job.

“It is a lonely seat,” Mr Obama said, who had hitched a ride to New York on Air Force One with Mr Biden.

The talk was by turns humorous and serious, ending with all three donning sunglasses in the mostly dark music hall, a nod to the trademark Ray-Ban sunglasses that Mr Biden often wears.

Donors pay top dollar for photo

The event offered donors different tiers of access depending on how much money they donated to the campaign.

Donors could give $100,000 for a photo with all three presidents, and $250,000 for access to an on-site reception. A donation of $500,000 would secure donors an invite to a more exclusive gathering. Supporters who made smaller donations were told they could dial into the event virtually for $25.

Jill Biden, the First Lady, was slated to host an after-party for donors after the main event concluded with 500 guests and D-Nice, a DJ and record producer.

“This historic raise is a show of strong enthusiasm for President Biden and Vice President Harris and a testament to the unprecedented fundraising machine we’ve built,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Biden-Harris campaign’s co–chairman.

“Unlike our opponent, every dollar we’re raising is going to reach the voters who will decide this election - communicating the president’s historic record, his vision for the future and laying plain the stakes of this election.”

Biden struggling in polls

The record-breaking fundraising haul comes as Mr Biden is struggling in national opinion polls, which show Mr Trump with a consistent lead of between one and three percentage points.

Mr Trump’s campaign has raised significantly less money than Mr Biden’s in recent months and is experiencing a cash crunch as the Republican nominee attempts to pay his legal bills from campaign funds.

But organisers of a fundraiser for Mr Trump said they expected to raise $33 million at an event next week in Palm Beach, Florida, the Financial Times reports.

The amount cannot be verified until campaign disclosure filings are published. If accurate, it would effectively double the Trump campaign’s cash on hand, although this would still be some way off Mr Biden’s election war chest.

“The response to our fundraising efforts has been overwhelming, and we’ve raised over $33mn so far,” John Paulson, the hedge fund manager hosting the event, claimed.

“There is massive support amongst a broad spectrum of donors. The dinner is relatively small in nature, and we are almost at our cap.”

Two other people familiar with the event confirmed the fundraising total to the newspaper.

Mr Biden had $155 million in cash on hand through the end of February, compared with $37 million for Mr Trump and his Save America political action committee.

‘All hell breaks loose’

Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesperson, said the event showed Mr Biden was “mentally deficient” and needed to rely on the support of his predecessors.

Mr Trump’s supporters were sent a text message on Thursday morning describing the event as “bad”, adding: “Tonight all hell breaks loose!”

On Wednesday, the former president said Mr Obama was “spitting in the face” of Americans by supporting Mr Biden.

The event comes after Mr Obama was reported to be holding regular calls with Mr Biden’s top strategists, and appeared in person for a campaign meeting in the White House.

Although Mr Biden has emphasised his former boss’s support, his campaign operates differently to Mr Obama’s 2008 and 2012 election bids, with heavy support from the Democratic National Committee. Mr Obama preferred to run his campaigns from a separate office in Chicago.

Also in New York on Thursday, Mr Trump attended the wake of Jonathan Diller, an NYPD officer who was gunned down at a traffic stop on Monday evening.

Mr Trump’s spokesman said he had decided to attend the event on Long Island because he was moved by Mr Diller’s “senseless and tragic death”.