Former President Barack Obama will join presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for the first time in a joint virtual fundraiser.
The fundraiser aims to draw in tens of thousands of small-donor offerings, according to Axios, which saw one of the invitations set to be sent to supporters. The event is set to be held on June 23.
In the invitation, Obama calls this year’s election “the most important election of our lifetimes.” He asks donors to give “any amount you can.” Although he doesn’t directly address the ongoing protests, he calls for “Americans of all backgrounds and political stripes to join together.”
The former president also says in the invitation that Biden will help reconstruct the economy as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and tells voters that he will expand healthcare, adding that “all of us are equal and each of us should have the chance to make of our lives what we will.”
Obama didn’t immediately endorse his former vice president in the primaries but rather waited until Biden’s top competitor, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, dropped out of the race before publicly announcing his support for Biden’s nomination.
“Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made, and he became a close friend. And I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now,” Obama said in an April video announcing his endorsement.
Biden is expected to face President Trump in November. A RealClearPolitics national average of polls shows Biden with an 8.1% lead over the president. Biden brings in 49.8% support to Trump’s 41.7% support.
