President Joe Biden referred to former President Trump as an “existential threat” during a fundraiser in New York City on Wednesday, as anti-Israel protesters blocked Fifth Avenue outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“There is one existential threat: it’s Donald Trump,” Biden told business leaders during his first stop of the day at the Upper West Side home of Larry Linden, the former managing partner of Goldman Sachs.
“He’ll try to undo everything we’ve done… We can’t let that happen,” Biden said. “There is only one existential threat we face in the world: and that’s the environment.”
The president had three fundraising stops that were to be attended by several business leaders whose environmental projects aligned with Biden’s administration program of subsidies and incentives. According to the New York Post, anti-Israel protesters blocked traffic outside of Biden’s third event.
“As he spoke, a few dozen protesters camped out on Fifth Avenue during rush hour, blocking the venue for Biden’s third fundraiser in protest of his support for Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas terrorists killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250 others in an Oct. 7 surprise attack,” noted the Post.
NEW YORK, US – FEBRUARY 7: ‘Ceasefire Now’ protesters block the roadway to the event where President Joe Biden was scheduled to attend today in New York City, United States on February 07, 2024. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Protesters wore shirts that said ‘Jews say ceasefire now!’ and were cleared out in time for Biden to arrive at the home of his third wealthy host, Maureen White, whose husband, Steven Rattner, manages billionaire former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s fortune,” it added.
The event, which was also attended by actor Robert De Niro, went on as scheduled after police cuffed protesters, roughly a dozen for disorderly conduct.
“I’m not even supposed to be here right now. I called out just to make sure I didn’t miss this,” one woman protester told the Post. “We will not let this warmonger drive around our streets and our city like he is not causing death and destruction in our name.”
“While he is in our city, he will feel nothing but disruptions,” he added.
Before the protest, during his second fundraiser at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel near Columbus Circle, Biden said that another Trump term would produce a “nightmare.”
“Imagine the nightmare of Trump’s return,” he reportedly said. “You’re the reason Donald Trump is a defeated former president. And you’re the reason we’ll make Donald Trump a loser again.”
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.