Meeting with more than 150 donors at the Salamander Hotel, Biden and first lady Jill Biden took pictures and chatted with supporters during a cocktail hour alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Attendees later dined on roasted beetroot salad, prime New York strip loin with tiger shrimp and orange mousse cake.
“There was kind of confidence in the air” among the Democrats “that I’m not sure you saw in 2020,” said a source in attendance, who described Harris as being in a good mood — there was “a hop in her step.”
Biden, who spent about two hours at the event, thanked his audience for their past contributions and emphasized the stakes for 2024 as he prepares for a potential rematch against former President Donald Trump.
“You raised significant amounts of money to allow us to compete” in 2020 and helped beat back the “red wave” in 2022, he said.
Alan Kessler, a longtime Democratic fundraiser from Philadelphia who attended,
Kessler said: “There’s nothing better for good fundraising than having Donald Trump on the other side.”
all we got to do is point out, in many cases, comparison with what these guys want to do. Look what they just introduced, what they just passed in the House.”
Biden has billed 2024 as a choice between “more rights or fewer,” warning of “MAGA extremists lining up” to cut the social safety net. Biden said he wants to finish the job for the American people and will fight for the nation at a critical junctu
Jeffrey Katzenberg, a longtime Democratic donor and a co-chair of Biden’s 2024 campaign who attended Friday’s speech,
Biden’s campaign didn’t release early fundraising numbers, which typically are an indicator of enthusiasm. It did, however, launch a seven-figure ad campaign in battleground states to double down on its opening message that MAGA Republicans are attacking America’s freedom.