President Joe Biden didn’t hold back at a fundraiser in San Francisco this Wednesday, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “crazy SOB” and expressing disbelief over former President Donald Trump’s recent comparison of himself to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died under suspicious circumstances.
“We have a crazy SOB like that guy Putin, and others, and we always have to worry about nuclear conflict,” Biden told the crowd, alluding to the ongoing tensions with Russia and the global threat posed by Putin’s regime. He went on to express his astonishment at Trump’s comments, which equated his own legal troubles to Navalny’s fate. “It astounds me the things that are being said,” Biden remarked. “If I stood here 10, 15 years ago and said any of this, you’d all think I should be committed.”
Biden’s comments came as he embarks on a three-day West Coast fundraising tour, where he’s scheduled several high-profile events. These fundraisers, spread across Southern and Northern California, are part of an effort to bolster his campaign’s coffers. By the end of January, his campaign had raised a staggering $130 million.
Trump, speaking at a Fox News town hall on Tuesday, had compared his legal battles to the tragic death of Navalny, calling it a “very sad situation” while asserting that his criminal indictments were politically motivated. However, Trump stopped short of condemning Putin or directly addressing Russia’s human rights abuses.
In response to Navalny’s death, White House spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that the U.S. would announce a new round of sanctions against Russia, set to be unveiled on Friday. These sanctions are part of a broader strategy to hold Putin accountable for his regime’s actions, including the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has now entered its third year. However, approval for further military aid to Ukraine remains a point of contention, with partisan debates in Congress continuing to stall progress.
Biden’s fundraising efforts continue to attract high-profile donors. At Wednesday’s first event, Twilio Inc. co-founder John Wolthuis and Nat Simons, co-founder of the Sea Change Foundation, were among the notable guests. The second event included Gordon Getty, the son of the late oil tycoon J. Paul Getty.
As Biden works to secure funds for his reelection campaign, the political landscape remains charged, with international tensions and domestic debates on the Ukraine conflict continuing to dominate headlines.
