U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in New York, June 28, 2024.
Mandel and | Afp | Getty Images
The Biden campaign raised $27 million from the first presidential debate through Friday evening, a campaign spokeswoman announced Saturday.
The numbers come amid President Joe Biden’s post-debate fundraising campaign, during which the campaign is trying to match former President Donald Trump’s recent donation momentum.
The Biden campaign, Democratic National Convention, Biden PAC and committees raised a combined $85 million in May, compared to $141 million raised by Trump in the same month he was convicted of 34 felonies. This is a small figure compared to ten thousand dollars.
The post-debate campaign effort is also aimed at instilling confidence in donors that Biden can still pull off a Democratic victory in November, despite a sloppy performance in Thursday’s first debate with Trump.
After the 90-minute showdown in Atlanta, Biden headed to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, where he spoke at a rally in a more animated tone and acknowledged his own debate mistakes.
“Guys, I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I know. I know how to do it. I must tell the truth,” he said.
After North Carolina, the president flew to New York City to deliver a speech at the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center to mark Pride Month. That evening, he held several campaign receptions.
Biden is scheduled to return to Camp David later that evening after attending more campaign receptions in New York and New Jersey on Saturday, events that are likely to add another $27 million to the fundraising tally.
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how much of this new fundraising came from grassroots and high-dollar donors online.
After a 90-minute showdown Thursday, Democrats have been eager to brush aside Biden’s debate debacle.
Biden’s supporters, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, have tried to turn the debate around by acknowledging the president’s debate mistakes rather than ignoring them and asking voters to look past them.
But some Democratic strategists are urging Biden to drop out of the race and hand over his delegates to a new candidate.
Biden and Trump are scheduled to debate again on September 10, a potential opportunity to renew public opinion of the president, who many voters have expressed concerns about his age and ability to serve a second term.
