Some of Hollywood’s biggest names packed the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Saturday night, but the event wasn’t an awards ceremony or entertainment industry event. Instead, President Joe Biden took the stage, for a fundraiser that generated a record-setting figure for his presidential campaign.
Unlike most events that attract the likes of Julia Roberts, George Clooney, and Barbra Streisand, there was no photographer-laden red carpet, nor was there a logoed step-and-repeat. This time, the stars ceded much of the spotlight to the president and former president Barack Obama, who took the stage for a 40-minute chat with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who’s arguably been more vocally critical of Joe Biden opponent Donald Trump than the other two men, combined.
The presidents’ opening acts included Oceans-famous couple Clooney and Roberts, who kicked off the night. After that, Streisand introduced First Lady Jill Biden; Jack Black and Sheryl Lee Ralph provided musical performances; and Jason Bateman and Kathryn Hahn ushered in Kimmel, the night’s moderator.
After jokingly griping “I was told I was getting introduced by Batman, not Bateman,” Kimmel brought Obama and Biden onstage to wild cheers from the audience, who—per the LA Times—purchased tickets ranging from $250 (for the nosebleed section) to $500,000 (“for a ticket package that includes prime seats, photos with both presidents and a VIP after-party”).
Mindy Kaling, Jeff Ross, and Jordan Peele were some of those ticket holders, for an event that raised a landmark $30 million for Biden’s campaign.
The trio’s conversation centered mainly on Trump, with banter on his past presidency and comments on his current travails, which include felony convictions and recent campaign appearances Biden has earlier described as “unhinged.”
While onstage, Biden expressed shock that Trump was a viable contender for president yet again, saying, “All we gotta do is remember what it was like” during the reality TV star’s time in office to know what a bad idea it would be to elect him once more. “Remember the pandemic,” Biden said. “He said just don’t worry, just inject a little bleach.”
Outside the event, protesters opposed to U.S. support in Israel’s war against Hamas packed the streets. Many of them told the media that they’re unlikely to support Biden if he continues not to oppose Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, which has cost many civilians their lives.
But while the fraught issue of the U.S. role in that foreign war wasn’t directly addressed during the event, Obama appeared to approach it obliquely, saying, “We don’t have to just vote against something in this election. We have someone to worry about. And there’s a whole agenda that we should be concerned about.”
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