Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Photo: Dustin Chambers/Getty Images
At a high-level fundraising event in New York Tuesday night, 2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden said he wouldn't want to "demonize" the wealthy and that "no one's standard of living will change" if he's elected, according to a pool report.
Why it matters: Biden's position as an establishment Democrat has put him at odds with what he referred to in his remarks as the "New Left," a wing of the party in which candidates like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have targeted the ultra-wealthy in their fight against income inequality.
What we know: The event was hosted at the Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side by Eric Mindich, CEO and founder of Eton Park Capital Management. It was Biden's third fundraiser of the day, with his first reportedly requiring a $2,800 contribution level for attendance, per another pool report.
Speaking about income inequality to approximately 100 donors, Biden said that he's found that "rich people are just as patriotic as poor people."
"We can disagree in the margins but the truth of the matter is it's all within our wheelhouse and nobody has to be punished. No one's standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change."
Of note: Earlier in his remarks, Biden did reference the need to rebuild what he dubbed the "backbone of America," arguing that ordinary people must be given pathways to success.
"You all are extremely successful people. But with all due respect, Wall Street didn't build America. The wealthy didn't build America."
Go deeper: Joe Biden on the issues, in under 500 words