WATCH: President Joe Biden and Ex-prez Barack Obama Fire Back at Pro-Palestine Protestors During $25M Fundraiser — 'You Can’t Just Talk and Not Listen'
Clooney reached out to give Obama a heads up beforehand. Sources familiar with the exchange told the outlet that Biden's former boss didn't encourage the move, but he also didn't object to it.
March 29 2024, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama fired back at a group of protestors this week during a $25 million fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton in New York City, RadarOnline.com can report.
The surprising incident unfolded on Thursday as Biden stood onstage at Radio City Music Hall with Obama and Clinton to promote Biden's 2024 re-election campaign.
Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign reportedly raised $25 million during the event that featured Late Show host Stephen Colbert, rapper and singer Lizzo, and actress Mindy Kaling.
But the fundraiser was temporarily derailed when one heckler in the audience confronted President Biden about the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Middle East.
“Shame on you, Joe Biden! Shame on you! Shame on you!” the woman shouted, according to a video of the incident. “You are pushing genocide in Palestine and no amount of false concern…”
“There’s blood on your hands!” the woman then shouted as she was removed from the venue.
The surprising incident unfolded on Thursday as Biden stood onstage at Radio City Music Hall with Obama and Clinton to promote Biden's 2024 re-election campaign.
Another protestor later confronted Biden over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. While the president stood on stage and condemned the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the second person stood up and raised the Palestinian flag.
“Palestinians are dying right now because of your actions!” the second protestor shouted before they too were escorted out of the New York City venue.
Obama later fired back at the protestors. He said that the pro-Palestine protestors could not "just talk and not listen" because "that’s what the other side does."
"You can’t just talk and not listen," Obama started, according to a transcript of Thursday's fundraiser. "That’s what the other side does."
"And it is possible for us to understand that it is possible to have moral clarity and have deeply held beliefs," he continued, "but still recognize that the world is complicated and it is hard to solve these problems."
Biden also engaged the protestors. He reminded the audience that Israel's "very existence is at stake" and hinted at a potential deal between several Middle East countries to "recognize" Israel for the first time.
"That’s alright. Let them go," Biden said. "There are too many innocent victims, Israeli and Palestinian. We’ve got to get more food and medicine, supplies into the Palestinians. But we can’t forget, Israel is in a position where its very existence as at stake."
“I won’t go into detail now. But look, I’ve been working with the Saudis and with all the other Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan and Qatar. They’re prepared to fully recognize Israel," he continued. "Fully recognize Israel for the first time. But there has to be a post Gaza plan, and there has to be a train to a two state solution."
Biden reminded the audience that Israel's "very existence is at stake" and hinted at a potential deal between several Middle East countries to "recognize" Israel for the first time.
Meanwhile, President Biden faced backlash even before the fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall kicked off on Thursday.
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Conservative critics trashed Biden for not canceling the event after a 31-year-old NYPD officer, Jonathan Diller, was murdered in the city on Monday.
“There are scores of NYPD officers unable to pay respects to their fallen brother tonight because they’re working security in the rain for Joe Biden’s $25 million fundraiser,” conservative writer Chadwick Moore tweeted during the event.
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Ex-President Donald Trump also trashed Biden over the campaign fundraiser. Trump reportedly attended Diller’s wake on Thursday and went on to tell Fox News that President Biden “didn’t even call [Diller’s] family.”
“Meanwhile, the Three Stooges – Biden, Obama, and Clinton – will be at a glitzy fundraiser in the city with their elitist, out-of-touch celebrity benefactors,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung added in a tweet earlier in the day.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the 2024 race for the White House between Biden and his presumed GOP challenger Trump continues to heat up.
A recent poll found that Biden was slowly gaining ground against Trump in key battleground states, while Trump’s campaign has been rocked and interrupted by his myriad of civil and criminal legal troubles.
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