Musician Eric Clapton performed at a fundraiser for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that generated a total of $2.2. million dollars.
Kennedy is challenging President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination.
“I am deeply grateful to Eric Clapton for bringing his musical artistry and rebellious spirit to my gathering in Los Angeles last night,” said Kennedy in a Sept. 19 statement. “I sometimes think that in our divided society, it is music rather than any kind of intellectual agreement that has the most potential to bring us together again.”
“Eric sings from the depths of the human condition,” the lawyer continued. “If he sees in me the possibility of bringing unity to our country, it is only possible because artists like him invoke a buried faith in the limitless power of human beings to overcome any obstacle.”
The proceeds of the event will be divided with $1 million going to Kennedy’s presidential campaign. The other $1.2 million will go to a pro-RFK Jr. PAC.
Clapton, who is known for the hits “Wonderful Tonight,” “Tears in Heaven,” and “White Room,” has been open about his support for Kennedy.
“I just wanted to say I’m looking forward to seeing you all soon at this gig for truth, unity, peace, and posterity with the Kennedy Team,” Clapton said in a video message posted on Aug. 23.
Clapton previously tried to donate $5,000 to Kennedy’s campaign. His donation was blocked by the Federal Election Commission as campaigns are barred from accepting donations from foreign nationals. The amount also exceeded the $3,300 limit.
“The attempted donation comes on the heels of a turbulent couple of years for Clapton’s public image. He was a vocal opponent of the UK’s lockdown measures during COVID-19, spread misinformation as to the effects of the vaccine on fertility, and saw many of his peers speak out against him,” reports Guitar.com. “Robert Cray, for instance, cut ties with Clapton when he compared lockdown measures to slavery.”
Kennedy, who has been criticized for his vaccine skepticism, has also been critical of the COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates. During an interview in April, Kennedy tied America’s economic turbulence to the disruption and restriction implemented in the wake of the virus’s global spread.
"The strength of a nation comes from a strong economy and a vibrant middle class, and we have wiped out the middle class in the country systematically,” said Kennedy.
“We shifted $4 trillion in wealth from the American middle class to this new aristocracy of billionaires. We created 500 new billionaires,” said the Democrat. “The Oxfam report, which came out this week, shows that the billionaires that existed at the beginning of the pandemic, the people like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeffrey Bezos, Bloomberg, etc., increased their wealth by 30% during the pandemic.”
According to an Emerson College poll completed between Sept. 14 - Sept. 18, Biden has 62% support ahead of his party’s presidential primary. Kennedy has 14% support and author Marianne Williamson has 4%.
A Rasmussen poll released Sept. 20 found that 25% of likely Democratic voters would cast their ballot for Kennedy, 57% would vote for Biden, and 3% would favor Williamson.
