Donors for the US Democratic party withhold funds as calls grow louder for Joe Biden to step aside.

The 46th president of the United States of America,
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

 

"I’m a lifelong Democrat; I make no apologies for that. I’m proud of what my party represents and what it stands for. As part of my participation in the democratic process and in support of my chosen candidate, I have led some of the biggest fund-raisers in my party’s history. Barack Obama in 2012. Hillary Clinton in 2016. Joe Biden in 2020. Last month I co-hosted the single largest fund-raiser supporting any Democratic candidate ever, for President Biden’s re-election. I say all of this only to express how much I believe in this process and how profound I think this moment is.

"I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.

"But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “big F-ing deal” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.

"Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe. But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw. We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign. The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before. As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, whom we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question ..."

These words were an excerpt of an open letter that was written by famous American actor, George Clooney and published in The New York Times. It is titled, I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee. 

It appears that Mr. Clooney is stating what many in the American Democratic party wouldn't dare to say. There have been calls for Mr. Biden to volunteer to undergo cognitive testing to see if he is fit to endure another four years as the United States president, if he were to win in November.

Meanwhile, though there have been discussions behind closed doors among Democrat politicians, there is no real consensus as to what to do with the aging president. Key figures in the party have come out in support of the president, namely, Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi. There are however, a few Dem lawmakers who have broken rank to say Joe must go. Ten (10) House Democrats and one (1) Dem rep in the Senate: 

Lloyd Doggett of Texas: He was the first Democratic lawmaker to call on Mr. Biden to drop out, saying on July 2 that he was "hopeful that [Mr. Biden] will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw."

Raul Grijalva of Arizona: He told The New York Times on July 3 that what Mr. Biden "needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race."

Seth Moulton of Massachusetts: He told CBS Boston on Sunday that George Washington chose not to run for a third term, and Mr. Biden should follow that cue on another term. "I think that can be President Biden's legacy as well," Moulton said. "He defeated Donald Trump once and then he was willing to hand power over to a new generation of leaders. That's the kind of amazing legacy that a great president like Biden deserves."

Mike Quigley of Illinois: Quigley said on MSNBC on July 5, "Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this."

Angie Craig of Minnesota: Craig, who represents a key swing district, said in a statement on July 6, "This is not a decision I've come to lightly, but there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency. That's why I respectfully call on President Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee for a second term as President and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward."

Adam Smith of Washington: Smith on Monday called on Mr. Biden to end his candidacy "as soon as possible." He said in a statement that presidential candidates "must be able to clearly, articulately, and strongly make his or her case to the American people. It is clear that President Biden is no longer able to meet this burden." Smith told CBS News that if Biden announced he was ending his bid, "there would be a huge sigh of relief amongst just about every Democrat in the House."

Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey: In a statement posted to social media Tuesday following a closed-door meeting among House Democrats, Sherrill praised Mr. Biden's presidency but said she was asking that he "declare that he won't run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee." Sherrill said the "stakes are too high — and the threat is too real — to stay silent."

Pat Ryan of New York: He said in a social media post on July 10 that he's "asking Joe Biden to step aside" in the upcoming election to "deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders." The vulnerable House Democrat said, "Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump."

Earl Blumenauer of Oregon: On July 10, Blumenauer wrote in a statement that he hoped Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden had "come to the conclusion that I and others have: President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee." The 75-year-old congressman, who has served in the House since 1996, declared that "there is no question in my mind that we will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms. He has earned that right."

Hillary Scholten of Michigan: In a statement posted to social media Thursday, Scholten praised Mr. Biden's first-term accomplishments, but said that "for the good of our democracy, I believe it is time for him to step aside from the presidential race and allow a new leader to step up." The congresswoman said that if Mr. Biden decides to continue his campaign, she will vote for him but believes "it's time to pass the torch."

Senators calling on Biden to exit presidential race:
Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont: In an op-ed that appeared in the Washington Post on July 10, Welch became the first senator to publicly call on Mr. Biden to drop out. "For the good of the country, I'm calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race," he wrote. Welch argued that "the national conversation is focused on President Biden's age and capacity. Only he can change it."

In a new development, officials of the Biden Team are saying they are seeing a major slowdown in donations coming into the campaign coffers. "It’s already disastrous," one of the sources close to Biden’s re-election said of fundraising.

"The money has absolutely shut off," another source close to the re-election campaign said. It is already estimated that donations coming in this month could be down by half of the usual amount.

"Donors are negative. They had a call with the president. The call seemed so contrived to people; I don’t think they buy it," one of the people close to the campaign said, referring to a recent national fundraising call between Biden and donors.

"They called on people who were the most loyal, die-hard … There were no tough questions for the president."

There is however hope that the disgruntled donors may come around, even to ensure that Trump does not get another chance at the White House. Biden aides had said privately that "if major donors don’t come along, we’ll do it without them." Also, one of the sources said several unplanned fundraisers were in the early planning stages for July.

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References:

1. Clooney, George. Opinion Essay: 'I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee', https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html
2. Hubbard, Kaia. 'Here are the Democratic lawmakers calling for Biden to step aside in the 2024 race', https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-2024-race-democrats-who-want-him-to-step-aside/
3. Korecki, Natasha, Jonathan Allen and Monica Alba. 'It's already disastrous': Biden campaign fundraising takes a major hit', https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/disastrous-biden-campaign-fundraising-takes-major-hit-rcna161214