Joe Biden recruits Steven Spielberg to ‘tell the president’s story’

Steven Spielberg has reportedly agreed to produce a film about Joe Biden to be shown at the Democratic National Convention that will “tell the president’s story”.

The 77-year-old Hollywood director will try to highlight to the world what the president’s team believe are his real accomplishments in a bid to boost his image.

Mr Biden often grumbles that despite helping restore a sense of normalcy after the pandemic and signing into law a series of large infrastructure bills and helping Nato rally around Ukraine against Russia, he gets insufficient credit for his achievements.

At the same time, polls suggest voters have a sense of nostalgia for the four years of Donald Trump’s administration, despite opponents saying they were marked by extreme laws, a battle against parts of the media and a refusal to leave office.

The report in Puck said: “Starting a few months ago, Spielberg has participated in multiple strategy sessions on how to best tell the president’s story, his accomplishments, and his vision for a second term.”

It added: “Spielberg is a big Biden fundraiser, of course, and his friend and former DreamWorks business partner Jeffrey Katzenberg is a chair of the Biden campaign.”

The Close Encounters of the Third Kind director has been one of many in Hollywood who have donated money and celebrity endorsement to the 81-year-old president’s bid for re-election.

Last December, Mr Biden flew to Los Angeles for a week of large-scale fundraising events.

One was held at the home of Michael Smith, an interior designer, and his partner James Costos, a former HBO executive.

Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, who starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, were among the hosts of the event, as were recording mogul David Geffen and television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes.

This year’s Democratic Party’s convention is scheduled for Aug 19-22 in Chicago.

Security will be intense at the event and many fear that protests over Mr Biden’s policy towards Gaza, and counter-demonstrations, could turn violent.

In 1968, when Democrats last held their nominating convention in the city, at least one person was killed and hundreds injured after protesters denouncing the US’s ongoing war in Vietnam clashed with police.

The convention’s organisers did not immediately respond to questions on Friday and neither Mr Biden nor Spielberg have commented on the project.