David Letterman to headline Joe Biden’s Hawaii fundraiser

HONOLULU (AP) — David Letterman will headline a fundraiser with President Biden in 10 days, along with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D), a sign his campaign is moving forward despite persistent calls for the president to withdraw from the 2024 race.

The July 29 fundraiser will be held at a family friend’s house on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., Green told The Associated Press on Friday. The longtime late-night host will be in attendance, plus Biden and first lady Jill Biden. The campaign has at least 10 other fundraising events in the last 10 days of July.

Letterman hosted CBS’ “Late Show” for 22 seasons. The event comes as other celebrities including George Clooney, director Rob Reiner and Stephen King have called on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race following his disastrous June 27 debate performance. There are also growing concerns about continued fundraising after concerned donors raised serious concerns about his performance and the future of the party.

Biden insists he is the best person to beat Donald Trump and he is not stepping down. On Friday, Biden, who is recovering from COVID-19 at his Rehoboth Beach home, called for party unity and sought to shift the focus back to Donald Trump’s agenda.

He said he looks forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to challenge Republicans’ claims, “while defending my own record and the vision I have for America: a vision where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for all.”

“The stakes are high and the choice is clear,” he said. “Together we will win.”

Green is hosting the event as a growing number of lawmakers have expressed doubts about Biden’s candidacy. A person familiar with the plans initially told the AP that the fundraiser would be held at Green’s home, but Green later clarified that it was a family friend’s. Green has known the Biden family for years — his wife’s uncle was Biden’s college roommate — and he has said the decision on whether to leave the race will have to come from Biden himself.

Hawaii’s governor told the AP: “We stand with the president, the vice president and the Democratic Party, through good times and bad, because he’s been there for us as a family and as a state.”

Green has been governor of Hawaii since 2022 and led the state through devastating wildfires last summer.