The oligarchic and war-mongering character of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party was on full display Thursday evening as former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton joined President Joe Biden for a campaign fundraising event at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
The fundraiser, universally described in the press as “star-studded” and “elite,” raked in a record $26 million, according to the Biden campaign. With ticket prices ranging from $225 to $500,000, and all but the immediate White House press banned from the venue, the event was aimed at mobilizing wealthy donors and presenting the image of a party united behind Biden and solidly lined up against the presumptive Republican candidate, Donald Trump.
Despite a massive police presence outside and heavy security inside the hall, however, the party tops and their billionaire backers could not conceal the reality of mass opposition to Biden and his partner in war crimes, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, especially among young people.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in the rain outside of the mid-Manhattan venue, demanding an immediate ceasefire and end to the mass murder of innocent civilians in Gaza, which is being carried out with bombs, bullets, guns and tanks supplied by the United States. The same day as the New York fundraiser, the International Court of Justice warned of famine in Gaza and demanded that Israel stop blocking food, water and other vital aid from entering the besieged enclave.
Inside Radio City Music Hall, the Democrats sought to present a festive atmosphere. The event was hosted by comedian Mindy Kaling, who joked about being in the midst of “so many rich people.” Performing for the crowd of 5,000 were celebrity Biden endorsers Queen Latifa, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele.
The main event was a three-way interview with Biden, Obama and Clinton, conducted by late-night TV host Stephen Colbert. However, the discussion was interrupted multiple times by individual protesters in the audience, who stood up and denounced Biden as a war criminal “with blood on your hands,” and were immediately removed by security guards.
Clinton and Obama categorically defended Biden’s policy in Gaza and declared their support for the Israeli state. When a protester interrupted Obama, the former president snapped back: “You can’t just talk and not listen. That’s what the other side does.”
Biden responded to protesters by repeating the official justification for ethnic cleansing and Nazi-style mass murder of Palestinians—that Hamas was to blame for the war and Israel had a “right” to self-defense. With unbounded cynicism, he said there were “too many innocent victims, Israeli and Palestinian,” equating the hundreds of Israelis killed in the October 7 incursion by Hamas, following nearly two decades of blockade and military attacks by Israel, with the more than 32,000 Palestinians killed to date by the Israel Defense Forces.
He then made clear his full support for Israel, saying, “It’s understandable Israel has such a profound anger and Hamas is still there. You can’t forget that Israel is in a position where its very existence is at stake.” Speaking of Israeli Jews, he added, “They weren’t killed. They were massacred.”
Both Biden and Clinton spoke of the need to call for a future “two-state solution”—a new trap for the Palestinian masses—while Washington continues to arm the fascist regime in Tel Aviv and run political interference for it. The Jewish Insider website reported Friday that Biden told the Radio City Music Hall crowd that a number of Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, “are prepared to fully recognize Israel.”
On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Biden has in recent days quietly authorized the transfer of billions more dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel, even as the administration puts on a public show of concern over Israel’s impending invasion of Rafah, where some 1.5 million Gazans are crammed into tent cities.
The new arms provisions include over 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs, which were used by Israel to flatten much of the north of Gaza and kill thousands of civilians, mainly women and children.
Hundreds of police outside of the hall harassed the demonstrators, arresting at least one protester. At the same time, they stood by while a right-wing thug attacked demonstrators, ignoring their calls to take him into custody. A Twitter/X post by a protester showing the attack and the police response has been viewed thousands of times.
Meanwhile, donors attending the Music Hall event were given the option of giving $100,000 to get a photo with the three Democratic presidents, donating $250,000 and gaining access to a private reception, or giving the Biden campaign $500,000 and attending an even more exclusive gathering.
First Lady Jill Biden and DJ D-Nice hosted an after-party at Radio City Music Hall with 500 guests.
On Friday, the Biden campaign held a daylong retreat for 175 of the president’s biggest donors and fund-raisers at the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel. Those in attendance were said to be members of Biden’s national finance team.
To qualify, donors have to write a check for at least $47,900, but checks as large as $929,600 have been made out to the Biden Victory Fund. To be considered a “presidential partner,” a donor has to raise $2.5 million, while a “principal shareholder” must raise $750,000.
The Biden campaign has to date substantially outperformed Trump in the money raising race, particularly from multi-millionaires and billionaires. Through the end of February, Biden had $155 million in cash on hand, compared with $37 million for Trump and his Save America political action committee.
However, Trump’s campaign intends to narrow the gap, beginning with an April 6 fundraiser at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where campaign officials say a new record of $33 million will be raised.
The Washington Post reported on Friday that the Trump retreat will include oil tycoon Harold Hamm, sugar magnate Jose “Pepe” Fanjul, real estate mogul Howard Lutnik, megadonors Rebekah and Bob Mercer, Todd Ricketts and Warren Stephens, and real estate magnate Steve Witkoff. Casino and hotel magnate Steve Wynn, hedge fund mogul John Paulson and property and aerospace billionaire Robert Bigelow will host the event. The price of admission is $250,000, but many donors are giving the maximum contribution of $814,600.