Biden’s $97 MILLION fundraising haul: President, 81, rakes in biggest Democratic war chest in HISTORY ahead of 2024 after a string of star-studded fundraisers

President Joe Biden raised more than $97 million for his re-election campaign in the final three months of last year as he prepares to make his case to voters for a second term.

The amount was more money than the $68 million that former President Barack Obama raised during the same period of his re-election, but it was dwarfed by the $154 million that former President Donald Trump raised for him.

Biden’s war chest was bolstered by a series of star-studded fundraising events, including one in Boston with singer-songwriter James Taylor, and three days in California for rallies with Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Shonda Rhimes, Rob Reiner and David Geffen. .

It has also used several campaign contests to secure small donations that have added up to large sums.

According to the campaign, the “Cup of Joe” contest to meet with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was the most successful fundraising contest to date, raising more than $3 million.

Biden’s campaign said Monday that it raised $235 million from its launch last April through the end of 2023 and ended the year with $117 million in cash — which it said was the highest total by any Democratic candidate at this point in the cycle has gathered. .

According to the campaign, the president has held 110 fundraisers since launch, including 39 in the fourth quarter of last year alone. More than 520,000 donors made more than 926,000 contributions in the quarter.

“This historic victory – proudly driven by strong and growing popular enthusiasm – sends a clear message: the Team Biden-Harris coalition knows the stakes of this election and is ready to win in November,” said Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. .

But the $117 million the campaign has at its disposal is only $27 million more than at the end of September, a result of the campaign spending its money on staffing the campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del. and spending more than $25 million in ads it bought in general election battleground states where Biden’s polls were weak.

The $97 million that Joe Biden raised in the fourth quarter of 2023 was more money than the $68 million that former President Barack Obama (left) raised during the same period of his re-election, but was dwarfed by the $154 million that former President Donald Trump. right) raised for his

James Costos (center) posted a photo of the fundraiser he hosted at his Los Angeles home in the fourth quarter of 2023 with (from left) first lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden, Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi and Costos’ partner Michael Smith

Meanwhile, Trump has a strong lead in the polls for the Republican Party’s early primaries and could essentially clinch the Republican nomination within weeks, allowing the general election to start earlier than normal.

The first votes for the Republican candidate will be cast Monday, when Iowans attend the state’s caucuses.

The Biden campaign pointed out that Trump and his top competitors have already spent $100 million on advertising in Iowa alone.

Trump has not yet released his fundraising numbers for the fourth quarter of 2023. Candidates have until January 31 to file with the Federal Election Commission.

Of the major Republican contenders, only Nikki Haley has released her fourth-quarter numbers. She has raised $24 million and has $14.5 million in cash on hand.

President Biden faces only mild opposition to the Democratic nomination and most of the money raised will be used for the general election.

Biden’s focus on the campaign trail was on Trump. He has made defending democracy the centerpiece of his re-election campaign and has repeatedly said Trump threatens the principles on which the country was founded.

The president, meanwhile, is struggling with low approval ratings and concerns from voters that, at 81, he may be too old for a second term.