Presidential candidate Joe Biden told wealthy Democrats gathered for a campaign fundraiser at Gov. Ned Lamont’s home in Greenwich Sunday afternoon that he is more optimistic than ever about America, despite the ongoing impeachment proceedings and a bitterly sharp political divide across the country.
Biden said he believes President Donald Trump will be out of office soon, but he warned that four more years of Trump would result in the end of NATO, a longstanding critical alliance for the United States, Canada, and Europe. He also predicted that Trump could mistakenly get the United States into a war with Iran.
Biden talked repeatedly about Trump throughout his remarks, but he never mentioned Trump’s calls for investigations into Biden’s son, Hunter, after he served on the board of a natural gas company in Ukraine.
“I mean this from the bottom of my heart. I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s possibilities and chances than I am today,” Biden said under a tent that extended into Lamont’s backyard. “With this guy out of the way, number one, the country is primed because they’ve been reminded of who we are and what we have to do. Number two, we have the most productive workers. … We have more great research universities in this state and in this country than in all the rest of the world combined.”
He added, “Why in the hell are we walking around, ‘Woe is me. We’re in such trouble?’ With the Trump administration out of the way, and I mean this sincerely, the possibilities are limitless in what we can do — absolutely limitless.”
While many prominent Connecticut Democrats have remained uncommitted with a crowded presidential field, Lamont committed early to Biden because of their relationship and because Biden had helped Lamont in his race for governor in 2018. About 140 attended, and many of those paid $2,800 — the maximum contribution allowed during the presidential primary season and the only price mentioned on the invitation.
Lamont’s fundraiser was important for Biden because public records show that he has been lagging in the money race at the national and state levels. In Connecticut, Biden was out-raised in the third quarter by South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg and Trump, as well as Kamala Harris. Records show that Biden raised $151,000 in the third quarter in Connecticut, which could be surpassed in one day when Lamont’s totals are finally tallied.
The program lasted 38 minutes, including Biden’s speech, questions and answers, and comments by Lamont and former U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, a longtime friend of Biden’s who served with him for 30 years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Biden reminded the affluent crowd that America is the wealthiest country in the world, mentioning venture capitalism — the field where Lamont’s wife, Anne, has enjoyed success.
“It’s time we lift our heads up and remember who the hell we are,” Biden told the crowd that include U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. “It’s an exciting moment. Don’t forget it. Don’t forget about the possibilities. They’re enormous. With the right president and the right team, there’s not a damn thing we cannot do. Thank you for putting me in a position to be able to compete to try to do it.”
During a brief question and answer session, a man near the front of the crowd asked Biden how he can win the presidential race at a time when most of the energy in the national Democratic Party comes from the political left.
“I’m the only one who gets support from the left, right and the center,” Biden responded.
Biden said he is worried the president’s erratic and bizarre behavior.
“What worries me most about him, by the way, is the more pressure he receives, the more erratic he’s going to become. He’s got another year. He could easily get us into a war accidentally in Iran. He could easily get us into a conflict that is of consequence that he didn’t even understand what he was doing. This is a really, really, really delicate time between now and next November.”
He added, “I do choose hope over fear. I do choose truth over lies. I do choose science over fiction. That’s where we are with this guy.”
Lamont endorsed Biden early as many of the top Democrats in the state have remained on the sidelines. The state’s two U.S. Senators – Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy – have multiple colleagues in the race as U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Kamala Harris of California, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Cory Booker of New Jersey have been battling against Biden.
“I think people think he’s a very credible, moderate alternative and the best hope to turn things around for this country,” Lamont said before the fundraiser.
Lamont declined to reveal the amount of money that he expected to raise, but insiders said it could be more than $200,000. While the Biden campaign said that about 140 people attended, it was not disclosed how many paid full price.
Lamont said that Sunday’s reception would be his main fundraising event for Biden, rather than organizing a series of smaller fundraisers in the coming months.
“I haven’t been asked to play a role. I’m pretty busy doing Connecticut,” Lamont told reporters recently. “This is the one thing I’m going to do on that front. I think that’s plenty.”
Biden and his son, Hunter, have been in the headlines recently as Trump is facing impeachment after asking the Ukrainian president to look into the activities of the Bidens. Hunter Biden served on the board of a natural gas company in Ukraine, which has exploded into a political controversy during the campaign. Hunter Biden told ABC News that he used “poor judgment” in his dealings, but denied doing anything improper.
When asked recently if he had any concerns about the national controversies surrounding Hunter Biden, Lamont said simply, “No.”
Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
