Biden reports $6.3 million 1-day haul, biggest in 2020 field

Associated Press

Former Vice President Joe Biden is reporting he raised $6.3 million in the first day of his campaign, the most of any of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates in the first 24 hours after their announcements.

In a news release Friday, Biden’s campaign says he raised the money from nearly 97,000 individuals across all 50 states, including 65,000 who weren’t solicited by email.

Biden edged former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s first-day total of $6.1 million and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ sum of slightly less than $6 million.

Biden attended a fundraiser in Philadelphia on Thursday evening aimed at raising $500,000. Hosts said Friday raised substantially more.

The former vice president under Barack Obama entered the race Thursday, declaring the “soul of this nation” at stake under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Barely a day into his campaign, Biden is finding that his front-runner status comes with a glaring spotlight on his biggest political weaknesses.

Biden seemed to struggle at points on Friday under questioning about women who have said his unwanted touching made them uncomfortable. He appeared defensive when asked about his role in how Anita Hill was treated in 1991 when she accused then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.

“I’m sorry this happened. But I’m not sorry in the sense that I did anything that was intentionally designed to do anything wrong or be inappropriate,” Biden said on ABC’s “The View,” referring to the women who’ve mentioned his unwanted touching.

The television appearance came as Biden’s campaign announcement video has caused some early headaches for the campaign.

Biden framed President Donald Trump as a threat to the nation’s character, building his attack around the August 2017 protests in Charlottesville, Va., and he alluded to the death of a counterprotester who was killed by a white supremacist. Rumors circulated that the family of Heather Heyer, the counterprotester, was angry that Biden mentioned her. But Heyer’s mother told The Associated Press that wasn’t the case.