Making a grand comeback to the campaign trail, Barack Obama warned 175,000 viewers to not take the 2020 presidential race lightly. The former president made his first campaign trail appearance alongside former vice president Joe Biden after recommending him for president in April.
Obama helped Biden raise over a whopping $11 million and warned Democrats against being not serious about this year's presidential race. The Director of Strategic Communications for Biden, Kamau M. Marshall wrote in a tweet that the campaign collected $7.6 million from 175,000 grassroots contributors.
Obama and Biden invited high-dollar donors to the campaign's online portion, which was not accessible by reporters and received more than $3.4 million. This was the most money Biden raised so far through a single event, also marking the Democratic party and Biden's campaign surpassing the amount raised by Trump in May for the first time.
During the event, Obama urged viewers to learn the lessons from 2016 and take this year's election more seriously. Speaking about what he describes as a great awakening among the country's younger generation for demanding reforms, Obama said that the energy is not enough to ensure their victory, adding that just because the energy is out there doesn't mean it will lead to real change.
Obama explained that changes are often subject to criticism. The Trump campaign has outraised Biden's campaign so far with $265 million in cash at the end of May. Trump's recently concluded Dallas fundraiser collected more than $10 million for the campaign, the Trump Victory Fund, and the Republican National Committee.
Biden and the Democrats combined, on the other hand, raised $122 million. It is worth noting that the former vice president's fundraising efforts seem to have gained ground in recent weeks. Obama made his official return to the campaign trail with the fundraiser, which also accentuated his unparalleled popularity among the Democratic party.
Obama's team described the event as the beginning of what will be a busy schedule heading into the fall, as he focuses on not just Biden's election but also ensuring that Democrats run for House and Senate. The former president's comments indicate that the Democrats are aware that their base is likely to take this presidential race too lightly as Biden leading Trump in nationwide surveys.
Democrats believe Obama's involvement will help boost overall appeal for Biden, especially among black and younger voters. Former White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said Biden needs to move two groups of voters including Obama's 4 million 2012 voters and some other voters who voted for Obama in 2012 and either Trump or a third-party candidate back in 2016.