Biden kicks off December fundraising sprint

U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Boston on Tuesday for a fundraising concert featuring James Taylor, kicking off the Democrat’s month-long funding sprint ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Biden is scheduled to hold two more Boston events before traveling to California on Friday for two additional star-studded fundraisers. Celebrities expected to attend include Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg, Emmy-nominated writer Shonda Rhimes, and filmmaker Rob Reiner. Musician Lenny Kravitz is also reportedly slated to perform. Biden will then head to Pennsylvania and Maryland next week to drum up funds alongside each state’s democratic governors.

How much funding does Biden have? The Biden campaign raised an estimated $71 million last quarter, lagging behind what former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump had secured at this point campaigning as incumbent candidates. The campaign reportedly had more than $90 million after the third quarter report in October. Biden’s campaign and Democratic National Committee, along with super PACs and other allied groups, have spent over $45 million on pro-Biden advertising since January 2023. It’s a record amount for an incumbent candidate to spend on advertising in an off-year, according to AdImpact. The fundraising frenzy comes weeks after the influential super PAC Americans for Prosperity Action supported former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s GOP run for the White House.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Marvin Olasky’s report on political campaigning strategies.