Kamala Harris headlines Provincetown fundraiser, reiterates support for Biden

Vice President Kamala Harris headlined a high-profile political fundraiser in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Saturday, reaffirming her support for President Joe Biden as he continues to face calls from Democrats to drop his reelection bid.

The sold-out event was held at the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum and featured a star-studded roster of politicians and celebrities, according to the Boston Globe. Attendees included Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and actors Jennifer Coolidge, Adrienne Warren, and Billy Porter. There were also a number of local leaders there, including Mass. Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Sen. Ed Markey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

Bryan Rafanelli, one of the fundraiser’s hosts, tells the Globe that the event raised more than $2 million on behalf of the Biden Victory Fund. About $1 million of that total, which was the event’s original goal, was amassed prior to the debate.

At the fundraiser Saturday, Harris acknowledged it won’t be an easy path to reelection but confidently proclaimed, “We are going to win this election.”

She also called Biden “one of the most consequential presidents in American history.”

“I’m testifying as a first-hand witness that with every decision he makes in the Oval Office, I tell you, he thinks about how it will impact everyday folks,” she said.

Political commentator Sue O’Connell looks at what’s going on behind the scenes as the number of lawmakers urging President Joe Biden to step aside continues to increase.

Harris also used the fundraiser in Provincetown — a prominent hub for LGBTQ+ culture — to take a few digs at former president Donald Trump’s message of unity from the Republican National Convention, and his newly-announced running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Of Trump, Harris said, “If you claim to stand for unity, then you need to know it’s more than just a word.”

She also noted Vance’s past comments that have been critical of LGBTQ+ rights, saying that he would “undoubtedly be a rubber stamp for Trump’s extremist, anti-LGBTQ agenda.”

The Globe reports that Harris is expected to return to Massachusetts at the end of the month.