By Illinois Review
On Monday night, President Joe Biden needed a teleprompter set up in the living room of a private home to address a small group of wealthy donors and close friends, as he made a brief stop in downtown Chicago to raise money for his re-election campaign.
The private event, attended by about 50 people including Bill Daley, the former White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama and First Lady of Illinois MK Pritzker. The fundraiser was hosted by Michael Sacks, CEO of GCM Grosvenor, an investment and advisory firm and Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts.
Ricketts, a Democrat, is the sister of Republican’s Pete, Tom and Todd. Todd Ricketts was listed as a co-chair for the Palm Beach fundraiser last Saturday night that raised a record $50.5 million for President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. In 2019, President Trump selected Todd to serve as Finance Chairman for Trump Victory. Pete Ricketts served as the 40th Governor of Nebraska and is now a United States Senator.
Biden, 81, is the oldest sitting President in history. And his age has become a major issue on the campaign trail. On several occasions, Biden has stumbled up and down the stairs of Air Force One – the presidential aircraft, and he’s been known to trip and fall on stage as well. Within the last year, aides have directed Biden to use the baby stairs of Air Force One to avoid any more embarrassing mishaps. And just recently, Biden has been spotted wearing special orthopedic shoes for seniors with his suits to help keep him balanced.
The fact that Biden had to use a teleprompter to address a small group of close friends and wealthy donors in a private home only adds to the conversation that his age is becoming a major issue. Use of the teleprompter is common in big auditoriums or when addressing the nation at the White House, but it is rarely, if ever used in the living room of a home when the president knows nearly everyone in attendance. Typically, president’s speak without notes and off the cuff during these private events, but the Biden team was clearly worried about what he’d say or do off script.
During his remarks, he attacked the 45th President of the United States, saying, “No one trusts Donald Trump.” Biden also alleged that “Trump’s in trouble and he knows that. Just today he released a video where he’s scrambling on the abortion issue. He’s worried voters are going to hold him accountable for overturning Roe v. Wade, and for the cruelty and chaos that it’s created … Voters are going to hold him accountable for the extreme six-week bans.”
According to a Wall Street Journal poll, Trump leads Biden in 6 out of 7 swing states – a bad sign for Biden. And Trump is beating Biden in nearly every national poll. Just recently it was revealed that Trump is even beating Michelle Obama in a head-to-head matchup – a point that is keeping campaign advisors up at night as Biden hemorrhages support amongst key Democratic voters.
The private event in Chicago only raised $2.5 million.
