Obama, Clooney, Kimmel help raise $28 million for Biden campaign at Hollywood fundraiser

Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
·2 min read

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden's reelection campaign will raise at least $28 million at a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser in Los Angeles Saturday night featuring former President Barack Obama and a handful of A-list celebrities, the campaign said.

The haul makes it the most most lucrative fundraiser in Democratic Party history, eclipsing the $26 million Obama and former President Bill Clinton helped raise at a March fundraiser for Biden.

Actor George Clooney, actress Julia Roberts and comedian Jimmy Kimmel are among those hosting the Hollywood fundraising reception.

President Joe Biden speaks with host Jimmy Kimmel as he makes his first in-person appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" during his Los Angeles visit to attend the Summit of the Americas, in Hollywood, California, June 8, 2022.
President Joe Biden speaks with host Jimmy Kimmel as he makes his first in-person appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" during his Los Angeles visit to attend the Summit of the Americas, in Hollywood, California, June 8, 2022.

"Saturday's fundraiser will be a show of force with leaders across the entertainment industry sending a clear signal: they are united and enthusiastic about reelecting President Biden and Vice President Harris," the campaign said in a statement.

Biden, who was in Italy the past few days for the Group of Seven nations summit, landed on Air Force One at Joint Andrews Base outside Washington shortly before 3 a.m. ET Saturday. The plane refueled and Biden left for Los Angeles about an hour later.

For much of the campaign, Biden amassed a sizable fundraising advantage over former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. But Trump's campaign and its affiliated fundraising committees hauled in $76 million in April, compared to $51 million for the Biden campaign, marking the first time Trump topped Biden in monthly fundraising during the 2024 campaign.

Actor George Clooney arrives for the 45th Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on December 4, 2022.
Actor George Clooney arrives for the 45th Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on December 4, 2022.

The Trump campaign said it raised a massive $141 million in May, with a significant boost coming after Trump's guilty verdict in his New York hush-money trial. The Biden campaign has not said how much it raised in May. The campaign's May figures will soon be disclosed with the Federal Election Commission.

The most lucrative fundraiser of the 2024 election cycle belongs to Trump − a Palm Beach, Florida, fundraiser in April at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson, which Reuters reported brought in a record-setting $50.5 million.

President Barack Obama (L) and US President Joe Biden arrive for a campaign fundraising event at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on March 28, 2024.
President Barack Obama (L) and US President Joe Biden arrive for a campaign fundraising event at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on March 28, 2024.

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden campaign raises $28M at star-studded Hollywood fundraiser

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