Inside Joe Biden's Relationship With Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is an icon of the entertainment industry, with several legendary films to his name including "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Jaws," and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." The celebrated director also, somewhat surprisingly, has connections to President Joe Biden, and has continued to support him since Biden's initial election campaign. In December 2023, it was reported that Biden would be attending a Democratic Party fundraiser in L.A. co-hosted by Representative Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House, and some entertainment industry bigwigs. Spielberg and his wife and frequent collaborator Kate Capshaw were two of the many co-hosts from the sphere of Hollywood. 

The fundraiser was thrown at the house of Michael Smith, the interior designer for the Obamas' White House. Smith's partner James Costos has an Obama link as well, since he was the ambassador to Spain during his presidency. That fundraiser raised about $15 million for Biden's re-election campaign. Elsewhere, the prolific director has also made his own individual contributions. OpenSecrets data shows multiple significant donations that Spielberg has paid directly to Biden, too: There were two in 2020 and another couple in 2023. Suffice it to say, this unlikely duo shares a common goal. 

Steven Spielberg's support of President Joe Biden goes far beyond fundraisers and donations. The "Jurassic Park" director also assisted with the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC). And, in April 2024, Puck News (via The Hollywood Reporter) established that Spielberg was going to help Biden with his 2024 re-election campaign. He's been actively lending a hand with preparations for the DNC in August 2024, in particular. When the story was published, in April, the Oscar winner had already been meeting with Biden's team for a few months to devise a strategy for the convention, hoping to ensure a win against Donald Trump. 

Spielberg's undoubtable storytelling prowess was especially being tapped as they tried to determine the best way to share Biden's story and his hopes for a future term. Likewise, one of the iconic filmmaker's former collaborators from DreamWorks, Jeffrey Katzenberg, was also helping Biden with his 2024 re-election campaign. An anonymous insider confirmed the news of Spielberg's convention involvement with NBC News. However, they clarified that he wasn't planning on making a film for Biden and/or the 2024 DNC, which the "Saving Private Ryan" helmer notably did in the past, during Obama's 2008 presidential  re-election campaign.

Steven Spielberg seems to be taking President Joe Biden's 2024 re-election campaign very seriously indeed. An insider shared his feelings on contributing with Deadline, asserting, "Steven wants to be as helpful as possible to the president. He believes this is one of the most important elections in the nation's history." Their relationship likely goes beyond shared political goals, since Spielberg and Biden have a friend in common — Former President Barack Obama. According to a 2015 article in The New York Times, Obama, Spielberg, and iconic actor Daniel Day-Lewis watched a screening of the biopic "Lincoln" at the White House in 2012. Obama was fascinated when Spielberg discussed technological advances in storytelling, and the men had more chats over the next few years. 

Similarly to how he has helped Biden, Spielberg assisted with shaping Obama's post-presidency plans too. The veteran filmmaker also attended his 60th birthday party in 2021, which got a massive overhaul due to COVID-19. Biden was unable to be at that particular event, so he provided a virtual birthday tribute for Obama. Spielberg and the former president have remained friends ever since. In 2023, they dined with Bruce Springsteen in Barcelona, Spain. Perhaps Spielberg and Biden will be seen similarly hanging out once the latter has retired from office, but until then, it's likely that the "West Side Story" director will continue supporting Democratic politicians judging by his dedication thus far.