Writer: Andrea Shalal and Nandita Bose
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden slammed the U.S. Supreme Courtroom for a “gaffe” at a glitzy fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday with former President Barack Obama and prime Hollywood celebrities. The fundraising marketing campaign has raised $28 million.
Late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel started with a video montage evaluating Biden’s report to that of his predecessor, present Republican challenger Donald Trump. He wowed the viewers on the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, the place Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts had been among the many company.
Biden, a Democrat who typically denounces particular selections however refuses to lash out on the court docket itself, mentioned Saturday that “the Supreme Courtroom has by no means been extra unbalanced than it’s right now.”
“The reality is, no court docket has ever been so out of step,” Biden mentioned, noting that conservative Justice Clarence Thomas has mentioned the court docket that struck down a half-century-old federal abortion proper ought to rethink in vitro fertilization and Contraception and different points.
Trump nominated three of the six conservatives who management the 9 justices. He and Biden are locked in a good rematch main as much as the Nov. 5 election.
Biden mentioned that if Trump is re-elected, he “will in all probability have two new Supreme Courtroom nominees.”
“If he is re-elected, he will appoint two different individuals who flip the flag… I believe that is one of many scariest components,” Biden mentioned.
He was referring to a current controversy involving Justice Samuel Alito, who allowed flags related to the motion to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss to Biden – together with an inverted American flag – to be displayed on his bench in Victoria. Flying exterior houses in Virginia and New Jersey.
Democratic lawmakers, citing the flag show, mentioned Alito ought to recuse himself from circumstances involving Trump’s declare that the president is immune from prosecution on federal prison expenses associated to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcomes.
The Supreme Courtroom’s conservative majority has additionally restricted affirmative motion, homosexual rights, gun management and environmental regulation since Biden took workplace. It thwarts the president’s agenda on immigration, pupil loans, vaccine mandates and local weather change.
Obama mentioned, “The facility of the Supreme Courtroom is decided by elections. What we’re seeing now’s a by-product of Trump’s election in 2016.” “Hopefully we have discovered our lesson. As a result of these elections matter.”
“The most important fundraiser for democracy”
Regardless of Biden’s low approval rankings and considerations in regards to the president’s 81-year-old age, the Biden marketing campaign hopes the star-studded occasion will present energy and momentum.
“This can be one of many largest fundraisers we have ever hosted,” mentioned Ajay Jain Bhutoria, vice chair of finance for the Democratic Nationwide Committee. A spokesman for the Biden marketing campaign mentioned, ” President Biden’s fundraiser in Los Angeles is $28 million and counting, the biggest Democratic fundraiser in historical past.”
The Biden marketing campaign raised $26 million at a March fundraiser in New York Metropolis, the place comic and TV host Stephen Colbert hosted Biden, Obama and former President Invoice Clinton. Invoice Clinton). Marketing campaign officers mentioned the utmost ticket value for the Los Angeles occasion is $500,000.
Different celebrities attending Saturday’s occasion included Jack Black, Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
In current weeks, Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame has appeared within the White Home briefing room to reward the president, Robert De Niro has appeared at a information convention in decrease Manhattan on the request of the Biden marketing campaign, and Steven S. Pierberg has been serving to the Biden marketing campaign inform tales.
Actor Michael Douglas hosted a fundraiser for the president, and artists Queen Latifah, Lenny Kravitz, Lizzo, James Taylor, Christina Aguilera and Barbra Streisand all carried out to assist increase cash for Biden funds.
The Biden marketing campaign trailed Trump in fundraising for the primary time in April after the previous president stepped up a joint effort with the Republican Nationwide Committee and headlined high-dollar fundraising occasions.
Democrats nonetheless preserve an general money benefit over Trump, and the Biden marketing campaign nonetheless has a large battle chest.
Current polls present Biden and Trump tied in nationwide polls with lower than 5 months till the election, with Trump having a bonus in battleground states that may resolve the election. On financial points reminiscent of inflation, Trump’s general rating amongst voters is increased than Biden’s.
Democrats have lengthy seemed to the liberal Los Angeles space as a wealthy supply of economic help. Republicans typically denounce the nationwide Democratic Occasion as being funded by Hollywood elites and California liberals.
However donors within the state fund presidential campaigns of each events. Each Biden and Trump have raised extra money for his or her reelection campaigns within the state than anyplace else, in keeping with fundraising disclosures filed with the Federal Election Fee.
As of April 30, Biden had raised $24 million in California and Trump had raised $11.7 million, in keeping with the Federal Election Fee.
The president has been largely unable to host high-dollar Hollywood fundraisers for a lot of 2023 as a result of trade strikes. However since these points had been resolved, Biden has made headlines at a number of fundraisers within the state, together with one in December that topped out at almost $1 million.