CNN
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President Joe Biden delivered a series of stark warnings about what a second term for Donald Trump would entail at a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday night, positioning the 2024 presidential election as a turning point in American history.
“Institutions matter,” the president said. “What he did on January 6th and now that he’s literally saying that if he doesn’t win, there will be a bloodbath is outrageous. What he’s saying is outrageous.”
The fundraiser, which also included former President Barack Obama, raised more than $30 million for Biden’s reelection effort, a campaign official told CNN. The conversation between Biden and Obama was moderated by television host Jimmy Kimmel.
Biden specifically argued Saturday night that there will be vacancies on the Supreme Court over the next four years and that if Trump is reelected, a more conservative justice could be appointed.
“The idea is that if I’m re-elected, I’m going to have two more flags flying upside down,” Biden said, referring to the flag that once flew in front of Justice Samuel Alito’s home. When Kimmel asked him if that was the most frightening part of Trump’s second term, Biden replied, “It’s one of the most frightening parts.”
“The Supreme Court has never been more off balance than it is today, never really,” the president said, referring to the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and Justice Clarence Thomas’s statement that other decisions, including contraception, could be reconsidered. Someone in the audience interjected, “Including gay rights,” to which Biden responded, “Not during my term.”
The Biden campaign has been looking to boost its coffers amid signs that Trump is closing the gap in funding. Biden has led Trump in fundraising for most of this year, but the former president has faced a huge influx of money since winning the Republican nomination in March. Trump surpassed Biden’s funding for the first time in April.
“In this election, we don’t just have to vote no,” Obama said, “There are people we should be worried about, and there are a whole host of agendas we should be concerned about, but we can also be proud to recognize the great job Joe’s done.”
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who spoke at the event, touched on similar themes, saying her husband “respects the rule of law without trying to bend it to his will, and he rallies the world to fight for democracy and freedom.”
She also argued the dangers of a second term for Trump, saying, “Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he wants the White House — to give himself absolute power; to provide immunity from accountability for criminal acts; … to destroy the democratic safeguards that stand in his way.”
The first lady suggested Trump is a bully, saying, “We don’t stand by idly when bullies threaten our loved ones.” She added that attendees were showing Trump “exactly how we deal with bullies. … We won’t be intimidated or look the other way. We’ll show up and we’ll speak up.”
Referring to Trump’s recent criminal conviction over hush-money payments, Obama lamented that some in the country are “normalizing behavior for which they once disqualified themselves.”
“We are witnessing the spectacle of a candidate from both major parties sitting in a courtroom being convicted by a jury of his peers on 34 counts,” Obama said to applause. “His foundation is not allowed to operate because it engaged in fraudulent activities. … His organization is being prosecuted for not paying taxes.”
“He’s not paying anything,” Biden interjected.
When Kimmel asked Biden about “Trump amnesia,” Biden noted that Trump had recommended injecting bleach to treat COVID-19, and replied, “All you have to do is remember what four years of Trump were like.”
Obama also urged “people of conservative leanings” — those who don’t agree with the Democratic Party — to think about the “core values” that shaped the country, including “fundamental integrity.”
Kimmel asked President Obama what he thought about Trump’s statement that he had “done more for black people than any other president in history,” to which President Obama replied, “For example, one of the things that Trump did was make him look even better to black people as the first black president.”
George Clooney and Julia Roberts opened the evening’s program, Barbra Streisand introduced First Lady Jill Biden, and Jason Bateman, Jack Black, Kathryn Hahn and Sheryl Lee Ralph also entertained the crowd.
While discussing the possibility of a second term for Trump, Kimmel asked Biden, “Is there anything a president can do about, say, a talk show host who makes fun of him every night?”
“Have you heard of Delta Force?” Biden joked, before taking a more serious tone: “The idea that he’s actually threatening retaliation. This is the United States of America. Did you ever think you’d ever hear something like that? Retaliation, that’s what he’s going to do. He’s going to get back at people,” he said.
Kimmel also noted that Biden has said he wants to restore the soul of the country, asking, “Maybe we need an exorcism. Is that why we visited the Pope?”
“Yes,” Biden said.
Nikki Carvajal contributed reporting.
