President Biden visits N.J. for fundraiser at Gov. Murphy’s dwelling. Bon Jovi confirmed up, too. – NJ.com

President Joe Biden stopped by Gov. Phil Murphy’s Middletown home Thursday for an intimate, high-dollar fundraiser as Democrats search to retain management of Congress and several other governorships in subsequent month’s midterm elections.

The occasion featured about 15 folks and raised $1 million for the Democratic Nationwide Committee and the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, in accordance with a Democratic Occasion official.

Amongst these noticed within the viewers was Jon Bon Jovi, in accordance with some members of the White Home press pool. The New Jersey-bred rocker is a longtime Murphy good friend and neighbor, dwelling proper down the highway.

In line with White Home pool reviews:

Touring on the Marine One helicopter from New York, Biden arrived in Monmouth County at 3:43 p.m. He then was pushed through motorcade to Murphy’s mansion alongside the Navesink River. He arrived there about half-hour later.

Murphy and New Jersey First Girl Tammy Murphy started with some feedback earlier than Biden spoke for about half-hour. The president touted his accomplishments, together with the coronavirus stimulus legislation, decreasing prescription drug costs, laws making it harder for some to purchase weapons, and the bipartisan infrastructure law.

“Should you take a look at the report, we’ve made some real progress,” Biden stated.

When he turned to the 2022 election, he acknowledged that “primarily based on statistics, Democrats are operating uphill,” however “thus far it seems to be just like the Senate we aren’t solely going to carry however perhaps choose up a few seats.”

Biden additionally warned that there was “an awesome concern about democracy.”

He left at 5:53 p.m.

A multimillionaire former Wall Avenue government, Murphy is a longtime prime Democratic fundraiser. He was the fundraising chair of the Democratic Nationwide Committee earlier than changing into U.S. ambassador to Germany after which governor.

Murphy declined to supply any particulars concerning the fundraiser when talking to reporters earlier Thursday, besides to say he wouldn’t be getting ready the meal.

“The president, the one request he had was that I not cook dinner,” he stated after an unrelated event in nearby West Long Branch.

Earlier within the day, Biden joined New York Gov. Kathy Hochul at IBM in Poughkeepsie, the place the corporate introduced a $20 billion in funding in computing. He then returned to New York after his transient cease in New Jersey to talk at a Democratic Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee occasion.

In the meantime, Biden announced Thursday he was pardoning anybody convicted solely on federal costs of possessing hashish whereas asking officers to have a look at eradicating the federal ban on the drug within the U.S.

Biden and Murphy have been shut for years. The president campaigned for Murphy’s gubernatorial bid in 2017 and appeared with Murphy at a pair of events in New Jersey final October to tout White Home insurance policies.

Murphy has made quite a few journeys to Washington in recent times, each as governor and as chairs of the Democratic Governors Affiliation and Nationwide Governors Affiliation.

On the similar time, Murphy, 65, is considered a potential candidate for the 2024 Democratic nomination for president if Biden, 79, decides to not search re-election.

Biden told CBS News last month he supposed to run for a second time period, however he hasn’t made an official resolution.

“He says he’s operating,” Murphy stated Thursday. “I assume he’s operating. I take him on his phrase. He’ll don’t have any larger supporter. What we’re doing tonight is an instance of that.”

Requested if he’ll run if Biden doesn’t, the governor stated: “No hypotheticals in the present day.”

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Brent Johnson could also be reached at [email protected]. Observe him at @johnsb01.

Jonathan D. Salant could also be reached at [email protected]. Observe him at @JDSalant.