Cha-chin!Biden accepts election-year fundraising role

Whenever a donor’s unsilenced cell phone rings at a fundraiser during a presidential election Joe Biden Talking, he has the same joke ready to go: it’s donald trump on the other line.

“When Trump calls me again, tell him I’m busy,” Biden said at a Democratic Governors Association event last week, a joke he delivered at receptions in Illinois and New York earlier this year. As usual, the crowd of dozens laughed as the president continued with the rest of his remarks.

Here’s a glimpse of Mr. Biden’s fundraising chief ranting as he rakes in millions of dollars at a reception that will become a fixture of his political schedule in the final stages before Election Day on Nov. 8. increase. Celebrities are seen at these events. And while alcohol is consumed, Biden gets the one-on-one interaction he’s missed in much of his campaign and presidency because of COVID-19.

Held in opulent Manhattan apartments, drab conference centers, and backyard tents adorned with chandeliers, the fundraiser was one of the most visible ways Biden played out in this year’s election. I aspire to stand by him.

“Joe Biden is Joe Biden. said the Michigan Democrat. “He takes all sorts of questions and answers them honestly. He would probably throw the staff into a heart attack.”

Biden has headlined 11 receptions so far this year, Democratic National Committee, according to the commission, they brought in more than $19.6 million. The event featured his 18-person affair in the comfort of the Hotel Washington near the White House, which earned more than $3 million from his $300,000 haul at a yacht club in Portland, Oregon (others on video screens). including his four). During the Summit of the Americas in June, he had two fundraising campaigns at his Southern California mansion, raising $5 million in just a few hours.

Aside from the DNC event, Biden spoke at a September fundraiser benefiting the Governor of Michigan. Gretchen Whitmer It brought in more than $450,000 to the state’s Democratic Party.

The Governors Association event raised $1 million, and Biden was supposed to attend a fundraiser Tuesday on behalf of Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Christ. That her political trip was postponed because of Hurricane Her Ian.

The DNC also enlists Biden in solicitations sent to grassroots donor lists, and emails signed by the president consistently raise the most money for committees, party officials say. . As of last week, the DNC has raised over $107 million for him. It’s the biggest in any year so far, and Democratic officials believe Biden’s direct involvement plays a large part.

Biden seems to especially enjoy the face-to-face interactions that private fundraiser offers.

A famously talkative politician, Biden makes sure the organizers feel special and recognized at big-money events. For example, at his late-August fundraiser outside Washington, Biden first gave a little attention to the kid who was in front of the rally, then tossed dozens of big-dollar supporters of her DNC. I spoke to

“Honey, what’s your name?” Biden asked the girl what he joked sitting around had to be the most “boring” event. “Well, let me tell you something. Is that your father? He owes you a lot to have to sit here.”

At a June fundraiser at the home of billionaire media mogul Haim Saban in Beverly Hills, California, the president told Saban’s wife, Cheryl, that both men would “get married far above our train station.” And standing in Henry and Marsha Laufer’s 65th-floor apartment overlooking New York’s Central Park, Biden abounded with “magnificent” views and said, “Is there a better view in New York than here?” do not know.

In fact, the mansion was like “heaven” for Mr. and Mrs. Laufer. Attendees checked shoes at the entrance, including expensive Jimmy Choo mules and Saint Laurent pumps, and listened to Mr. Biden while wearing socks and slippers provided by Mr. and Mrs. Biden. . The small group of reporters in attendance were asked to wear “boots” over their shoes to protect the hardwood floors and light-colored carpet. and did not wear disposable covers.)

Biden’s fundraiser will feature occasional cameos from celebrities such as actor Robert De Niro (New York) and filmmaker Ken Burns (Boston), but neither will have enough time to hear the president speak. did not stay.

For donors, Biden’s comments, which can range from minutes to half an hour, are a more casual, ready-to-use version of his campaign speech on camera. Journalists have access to Biden’s fundraiser, but only with notepads and pens, cameras are prohibited.

Especially in recent times, Biden has been careful to highlight his administration’s accomplishments — the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, climate, which was enacted after months of debate within the Democratic Party. and medical bills. He then asked donors how the November midterm elections would not only keep his track record and Republicans unravel it, but how they would choose on other issues such as abortion and guns. emphasize.

Aides have disputed that his message would change in a more private setting, but Biden often spoke quickly and could be far less guarded than his formal remarks on a lectern or stage. be.

It was the fundraising that Biden invoked variations of fascism, whether it was “semi-fascism” or “shades of fascism,” to refer to the Trump-backed forces within the Republican Party, and Biden was a national His spokeswoman declined to assess the impact of recent elections in Italy, where a party with neo-fascist roots won the most votes, but Biden pointed to the results at the DGA fundraiser and warned about the fate of the United States and American democracy. US and International.

At the Laufers’ home, Mr. Biden, who tends to avoid talking about his faith when discussing policy, denounced the position of the Catholic Church in particular, accusing Republicans of pushing for a widespread ban on abortion. Mentioned.

“I happen to be Roman Catholic. My church doesn’t even have such a discussion,” he said, referring to an abortion ban that “leaves no exceptions.”

Biden’s typical qualities of his candor and his warmth with the crowd become more pronounced when the media is kicked out and the audience is given the chance to ask Biden questions, and he’s not attending such rallies. Those who did say

Biden’s questions vary from event to event, ranging from political strategy to news of the day. At a Manhattan fundraiser at the home of businessman and social justice activist Henry Muñoz, Biden explains his immigration plan and closing message to voters, overturning Roe v. Wade. It is said that he was pressed about the influence of To those who spoke on condition of anonymity to share private event details.

Most of Biden’s fundraising efforts have been for the Democratic National Committee, and earlier this year, Mr. Biden greenlit a $15 million transfer to the Democratic House and Senate Election Committees. A White House official said Biden has received a “significant number” of requests from Democratic candidates to attend fundraiser events, and aides will receive as many requests as possible depending on his schedule and other factors. He said he was working to address the

Whitmer was preferred because she co-chaired both Biden’s presidential campaign and his inauguration.

___

follow APs For full coverage of the midterm elections, visit https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics