The Biden campaign and its allies raked in more than $30 million as part of a star-studded fundraiser, breaking the record for the Democratic Party’s largest fundraising event, the campaign announced.
President Joe Biden appeared at the Los Angeles fundraiser alongside former President Barack Obama, actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
“This Saturday we are going to see an unprecedented and record setting turn out from the media and entertainment world,” said campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg in a statement. “The enthusiasm and commitment for Biden/Harris couldn’t be stronger. We all understand this is the most important election of our lifetime.”
A campaign official said that the fundraiser money “will be used to open offices, hire organizers, and launch paid media campaigns to communicate directly” with voters.
The Biden campaign announced on Saturday that the event had raised $28 million, which they said broke fundraising records for the party. Funds continued flowing in, bringing the final fundraiser haul to more than $30 million, a campaign official said Sunday.
NBC News has reached out to the Democratic National Committee to ask whether the event broke fundraising records. NBC News cannot independently verify the claim, as the fundraising numbers are not immediately reflected in Federal Election Commission data.
The figures reported from Saturday’s fundraiser eclipse the total reportedly raised from the New York City fundraiser in March, which also featured a slew of celebrities. That fundraiser swept in $26 million, according to the Biden campaign, which said it was the largest Democratic fundraiser to date.
Like the New York fundraiser, the Los Angeles fundraiser featured a comedian-moderated conversation among presidents. Jimmy Kimmel moderated a conversation between Biden and Obama. During the March fundraiser, Stephen Colbert moderated a conversation with Biden, Obama and former President Bill Clinton.
Saturday’s conversation with Kimmel, Biden and Obama touched on a slew of policy issues — and, perhaps unsurprisingly, former President Donald Trump.
“There’s so much progress we’ve made. He wants to get rid of it all,” Biden said, referring to Trump.
“I think part of what has happened over the last several years is we’ve normalized behavior that used to be disqualifying,” Obama said, pointing to Trump’s conviction and other legal issues.
Biden said that the candidate who wins the presidency this November will likely nominate two Supreme Court justices during his term, going on to suggest that Trump would “appoint two more flying flags upside down,” referring to controversy surrounding Justice Samuel Alito.
He continued, noting that the Supreme Court has “never been as out of kilter as it is today.”
Kimmel also praised the Affordable Care Act during the conversation, pointing to his son’s heart condition, which he has previously discussed. Biden emphasized that if Republicans dismantled the ACA, they “would be hurting the nation significantly.”
“I take great pride in what the Biden administration has accomplished,” Obama said during the conversation. “And it’s a reminder that we don’t have to just vote against something in this election.”
Saturday’s fundraiser also featured performances and a string of celebrities including Jack Black, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jason Bateman and Kathryn Hahn. Barbra Streisand introduced first lady Jill Biden, praising her work on education and women’s health.
The first lady emphasized that the election was about character. She said voters have a choice between Biden and “someone who wakes up every morning caring about one person and one person only: himself.”
The Biden campaign ended April, the month with the most recently available FEC report, with more than $84 million on hand, dominating in the cash race compared to the Trump campaign’s more than $49 million during the same period.
The Trump campaign said that it, along with its allies, raised more than $34 million after his conviction last month. NBC News cannot independently verify that claim, as May FEC filings are not yet available.
