Pro-Biden super PAC snubbed by campaign vows to remain in fight

close

Video

Biden forming White House transition team after scoring endorsements from Obama, Sanders and Warren

2020 presumptive Democrat nominee Joe Biden says some Republicans have offered to serve in his administration if he defeats President Trump; reaction and analysis on 'Outnumbered.'

The top super PAC supporting Joe Biden’s presidential bid during the Democratic primaries pledges it will continue to tell Biden’s story during the general election, even if it’s replaced as the leading outside group backing the former vice president.

“As we did successfully in the primary, we'll affirmatively tell Joe Biden's story and contrast it with the disaster Americans see in the White House right now,” Unite the Country spokesperson Lily Adams told Fox News on Friday.

THE LATEST FROM FOX NEWS ON THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

The comment from Adams came after the Biden campaign made it clear to donors this week that it prefers another super PAC – Priorities USA -- to be the main outside group during the general election.

Priorities USA – which was formed in 2011 to support President Obama’s 2012 re-election and served as the main super PAC for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign – was touted by the Biden campaign as an “organization of proven effectiveness.”

The statement – reported by the Wall Street Journal – appeared to be a signal to top donors that Priorities USA should be their top priority when contributing to outside groups. Campaigns are banned by law from being able to directly communicate to super PACs.

Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said “we applaud Priorities for its work and leadership while fully appreciating the roles that other independent groups can and will play.”

Unite the Country was formed in October by a group of longtime Biden friends and advisers to help the former vice president from the outside as his campaign struggled with fundraising as Biden battled against a bunch of much better-funded rivals for the nomination.

The super PAC raised roughly $25 million since forming, and to date’s spent more than $15 to run ads backing Biden. They currently are airing a TV commercial in key general election battleground states that spotlight’s Biden’s plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

While there may be some bruised feelings that Unite the Country is being pushed aside, the super PAC appears to be moving ahead.

TWO LEADING OUTSIDE GROUPS TEAM UP TO BOOST BIDEN BID AGAINST TRUMP

Two and a half weeks ago, it announced that it was teaming up with American Bridge – the group that served as the leading pro-Democratic opposition research shop in the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. The two groups have pledged to raise and spend nine figures – which is at least $100 million – on polling, research, creating and running ads, and communications. The groups highlighted that they raised more than $70 million within days of their announcement.

"We’re up against the best funded incumbent president in history which requires an unprecedented effort by a series of groups working hand in hand to defeat Trump and elect Joe Biden,” Adams emphasized on Friday.

And that seems to be the message from the Biden campaign as well. Bates said in his statement regarding Priorities USA that there would be room going forward.