Biden raises record $3.8M in an hour during first presidential debate with Trump: 'Americans are responding'
The Biden campaign reportedly raised nearly $4 million in an hour during the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio last night, highlighting a month which saw Democrats enjoy a number of huge cash infusions. Addressing reporters Wednesday, Biden campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said they had raised $3.8 million through Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue -- which also takes Black Lives Matter contributions -- between 10 pm and 11 pm nearing the end of the debate, Forbes reported.
It's worth noting that the sum marks a record-breaking fundraising hour for the Biden camp as well as a record-breaking hour for any campaign on ActBlue. Biden entered the general election in April trailing Trump by $187 million in funds. In recent months, however, the former's campaign has seen a spike in its fundraising fortunes after Kamala Harris’ selection as the vice-presidential nominee and the Democratic National Convention.
Democrats enjoyed another financial boost in September following the death of liberal SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with donors shelling out over $400 million via ActBlue in just 12 days after her demise.
Commenting on the debate last night, the Biden camp characterized Trump as “tired and angry” and claimed Biden was “confidently smiling." “There was one leader on stage tonight and one liar,” Bedingfield told reporters. “There was one president on the debate stage tonight and it was not the person who flew in on Air Force One. Joe Biden demonstrated the leadership and temperament that Americans around the country are looking for.”
On the other hand, Bedingfield alleged that Trump was "desperate and weak and angry. He’s losing the race and tonight he lost his temper. At one point even (debate moderator) Chris Wallace conceded that you could not follow Trump’s non-sensical ranting.”
Biden campaign adviser Symone Sanders echoed Bedingfield saying, “Donald Trump tonight was angry, he was weak, he was erratic. It was chaos.” She touted how Biden spoke directly into the camera multiple times during the debate as he addressed the tens of millions of viewers watching the debate on TV or online.
“He didn’t speak to Chris Wallace. He didn’t speak to President Trump. He spoke to the American people at home,” Sanders stressed.
The Biden camp claimed that the former VP's message to Americans was the reason behind the major uptick in fundraising. “Joe Biden spoke directly to the American people tonight and they are responding. Tonight we broke the single hour record for a campaign on Act Blue (the pro-Democratic online fundraising site) and we broke our own hour record and raised $3.8 million between 10 pm and 11 pm,” Bedingfield highlighted.
The campaign also pointed to what they referred to as “an incredibly critical moment in this debate."
“Once again Trump had multiple chances to say he disowned white supremacy. He was asked explicitly to do so and once again he openly refused,” Bedingfield emphasized.
That said, Bedingfield also committed that Biden would participate in the rest of the debates against Trump as agreed.