Obama to join Biden virtually for first joint fundraiser

Former President Obama will join presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for the first time in a virtual fundraiser next week, the former vice president announced Monday.

Biden’s campaign announced the reunion of Obama and his former VP for the grassroots fundraiser will be a week from Tuesday.

Folks, I’ve got some big news: Next week, I’m getting together with my friend and former boss, President @BarackObama, for a virtual grassroots fundraiser. We would love to see you there.

Chip in now to get your ticket: https://t.co/UD3RHHKIw1

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 16, 2020

The campaign’s event plans to target tens of thousands of small-dollar donors, according to an invitation obtained by Axios. The invitation scheduled to go to supporters Monday evening includes an ask from Obama for people to donate “any amount you can” for “the most important election of our lifetimes.”

The campaign aims to raise more money than it did during a virtual event with former 2020 candidate Pete Buttigieg, which gathered $1 million from about 36,000 people. 

Obama calls for “Americans of all backgrounds and political stripes to join together,” saying voting for Biden will help rebuild the economy and expand health coverage. 

He added that a vote for his former vice president would say that “all of us are equal and each of us should have the chance to make of our lives what we will,” according to Axios.

The former president officially endorsed Biden in April after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Biden’s last serious competitor, dropped out and threw his support behind the former Delaware senator. 

Biden and the Democratic National Committee together raised almost $81 million in May, the highest amount they have raised in a single month of the 2020 cycle so far.