4 Presidents, 2 Events and a Preview of Campaign Clashes to Come

The epicenter of the presidential campaign shifted to New York on Thursday, as the incumbent president and three of his predecessors descended on the area for dueling events that illustrated the kinds of political clashes that could come to define the general election.

For Democrats, it was a high-profile fund-raiser for President Biden in Manhattan. On Long Island, former President Donald J. Trump attended a wake for a New York City officer who was killed during a traffic stop on Monday. Together, the day’s events made for an unusual moment in a general election campaign that has so far been largely defined by appearances in courtrooms and at small, invitation-only events. In recent weeks, Mr. Trump has spent far more time battling in court than in battleground states.

Mr. Biden, along with Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, arrived for a joint fund-raiser at Radio City Music Hall that campaign aides said raised $25 million. The eye-popping number set a record for a single political event, according to aides, and offered a star-studded show of Democratic unity as the president heads into a difficult re-election campaign.

Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, made his own appearance in the area several hours earlier, at a funeral home on Long Island. His campaign used the stop to draw a sharp contrast with Mr. Biden, attacking the Democrats for spending their evening with donors and celebrities.

Mr. Biden, meanwhile, has increased the pace of his events since his State of the Union address early this month. But the fund-raiser, with an expected 5,000 donors, will be one of the largest crowds he has appeared before as president. It will expand an already significant cash advantage, too, raising in one night $5 million