President Joe Biden slammed the U.S. Supreme Court as "out of kilter" at the star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday. The Biden campaign and its allies on Saturday have raked in $28 million so far from the fundraiser, breaking the record for the Democratic Party's largest fundraising event.
"This Saturday we are going to see an unprecedented and record-setting turn out from the media and entertainment world," said campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg in a statement as reported by NBC News. "The enthusiasm and commitment for Biden/Harris couldn't be stronger. We all understand this is the most important election of our lifetime."
Similar to the New York fundraiser, the Los Angeles event featured a comedian-moderated conversation between presidents. Jimmy Kimmel moderated the discussion between Biden and Obama.
Biden, a Democrat who has frequently denounced specific decisions but resisted a full-throated attack on the court itself, said on Saturday, "The Supreme Court has never been as out of kilter as it is today."
According to Reuters, Biden stated, "The fact of the matter is that there has never been a court that is this far out of step. He noted that conservative Justice Clarence Thomas had suggested the court, which overturned the half-century-old federal right to abortion, should reconsider issues such as in vitro fertilization and contraception.
Trump nominated three of the six conservatives who now control the nine-member court. He and Biden are in a tight rematch race for the November 5 election.
If Trump is elected again, Biden said, he "is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees."
"The idea that if he's reelected he's going to appoint two more who are flying flags upside down... I think it is one of the scariest parts," Biden said.
He was referring to a recent controversy involving Justice Samuel Alito, who permitted flags associated with the movement to overturn Trump's 2020 loss to Biden, including an upside-down American flag, to be displayed outside his homes in Virginia and New Jersey. This incident has drawn significant attention and criticism, further highlighting the deep divisions and contentious atmosphere surrounding the Supreme Court and its justices.
On the other hand, Obama emphasized that the power of the Supreme Court is determined by elections. "What we're seeing now is a byproduct of 2016," referring to Trump's election. He added, "Hopefully we have learned our lesson. Because these elections matter."
Other celebrities who took the stage at the Saturday event included Jack Black, Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
