Obama, Bill Clinton to join Biden to raise US$25 million at fundraiser with Queen Latifah and Lizzo

US President Joe Biden will get a boost from Democratic predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton on Thursday at a fundraiser in New York expected to raise more than US$25 million and add some oomph to Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign.

Biden and the two former commanders-in-chief will take part in a discussion moderated by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert at Radio City Music Hall in front of thousands of guests at what Biden’s re-election campaign said would be the most successful political fundraiser in history.

Musicians Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo and Lea Michele are scheduled to perform, and some high-paying attendees will get their pictures with the three presidents taken by star photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Biden, 81, has faced concerns about his age and fitness for a second four-year term. Recent Reuters/Ipsos polls show his approval rating at 40 per cent and a tight race with Republican challenger Donald Trump, who is 77, ahead of the election on November 5.

Biden and Obama arrived together on Air Force One in New York on Thursday afternoon.

Tickets for Thursday’s event are between US$250 and US$500,000, according to a Democrat familiar with the event. More than 5,000 people were expected to attend. The event will not be televised, but the campaign plans to post content from it on social media. Small-dollar donors can pay US$25 to take part in a virtual event with the three men.

“President Obama and President Clinton strongly support President Biden’s leadership and obviously his agenda,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday. “We understand the importance of the three of them being together.”