Celebrities and elites in American society and trade have donated massive sums of cash to President Biden’s re-election marketing campaign, probably undermining his picture as a person of the folks. Hollywood stars comparable to George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Barbra Streisand attended a star-studded fundraiser that raised $30 million in donations for Biden. This comes at a time of excessive inflation and as Biden portrays himself as coming from humble roots in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The 2023-2024 election cycle is predicted to be the costliest in historical past, with Forbes reporting political advert spending may exceed $10 billion. Biden’s marketing campaign has been boosted by high-profile fundraisers with Hollywood stars, together with appearances from Broadway performers and musicians.
Biden has been actively searching for donations from celebrities and moneyed elites with the intention to fund his re-election marketing campaign. Excessive-profile occasions in cities like Los Angeles and Boston have attracted figures like Steven Spielberg and Taylor Swift. Vice President Kamala Harris has additionally participated in fundraisers with Hollywood stars comparable to Wendell Pierce and Mindy Kaling. The Biden-Harris marketing campaign raised $97 million within the final three months of 2023, with a lot of this cash coming from occasions with Hollywood celebrities. The marketing campaign continued to court docket stars like Queen Latifah and Lizzo at Radio Metropolis in March, elevating over $26 million.
Regardless of Biden’s success in fundraising, former President Trump has been closing the hole, with massive contributions coming in after Trump’s conviction in a New York prison trial. Each Trump and the RNC have been outraising Biden and the DNC, regardless of not but launching a basic election advert purchase. Trump has targeted on high-profile fundraisers at his Mar-a-Lago property and different rich areas, with little involvement from Hollywood celebrities. This has led to criticism from Trump’s camp, calling Biden’s supporters elitist Hollywood celebrities, and elevating questions in regards to the affect of those fundraisers on Biden’s picture.
Critics have additionally taken goal on the high-profile nature of Biden’s fundraisers, arguing that it will not be the perfect search for the Democratic Social gathering, particularly as inflation stays a urgent subject for voters. A Wall Road Journal op-ed criticized the Democratic Social gathering’s dependency on Hollywood cash and the potential penalties of this reliance within the present political local weather. The op-ed highlighted the distinction between Biden’s Hollywood fundraisers and Trump’s marketing campaign occasions in locations like Detroit, suggesting that Trump could also be making inroads with demographics historically aligned with the Democratic Social gathering.
Biden’s marketing campaign confronted criticism final month when actor Robert DeNiro made inflammatory remarks about Trump at a marketing campaign occasion. DeNiro was shouted down by Trump supporters, and the occasion was broadly criticized on social media. Some seen it as a misstep for Democrats and a departure from the extra critical tone of conventional political discourse. The Biden marketing campaign has not responded to questions in regards to the affect of star-studded fundraisers on Biden’s picture and messaging throughout a time of financial uncertainty. Because the 2024 election continues to unfold, the position of superstar donors and high-profile fundraisers in shaping the narrative of the campaigns might be intently watched.