Joe Biden, who is suffering from dementia, is encountering opposition from influential donors within his own party, including the heiress to the Disney family fortune.
These donors have announced that they will stop providing financial support to the Democratic Party unless Biden drops out of the presidential race.
Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney, co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, revealed her decision on CNBC last Thursday. Despite having financially supported the party for years, she intends to withhold future donations until Biden resigns.
“I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high.”
She strongly cautioned that if Biden refuses to resign, the Democrats will suffer a significant loss and face “truly dire” consequences.
Joe Biden and the Democrats are facing serious concerns in Hollywood, with a number of influential donors expressing alarm over his debate performance.
Variety released a significant report on Friday, highlighting the severity of the crisis in Hollywood, with donors contemplating withdrawing their support for Democrats unless they can figure out a way to replace Biden.
“With all the text chains I’m on, people are basically like, ‘If he doesn’t drop out, we’re not giving any more money to Democrats or the Democratic Party.’ It’s like super intense,” one donor told the outlet.
Another high-roller told the Variety, “There is a sense that the money dried up last night about 10 minutes into the debate.”
Even more concerning for Biden is the disappointment expressed by Hannah Linkenhoker, a well-known political adviser to Hollywood donors, who criticized Biden for not presenting a stronger argument for “holding Trump accountable.”
As a result, she finds it challenging to see how she and others can maintain their support for Biden and the Democratic party.
“We need a champion who can properly hold Trump accountable and articulate what’s going on and be crisp on this issue above all else,” she explained to Variety. “It’s just really hard to see how we keep supporting him. He needs to dig deep about whether he can in good conscience be our nominee.”
Ari Emanuel, a prominent Democratic donor from Hollywood, recently delivered a passionate speech at the Aspen Ideas Festival, expressing his frustration with the current state of the Democratic party under Biden’s leadership.
His emotions were palpable as he criticized Biden, his administration, and the media for not being transparent with voters earlier.
Emanuel also acknowledged the practical difficulties of replacing Biden on the ticket, recognizing the complex legal implications and the extensive election infrastructure already in place.
Similarly, billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman condemned the Democratic party and mainstream media for misleading the public about Biden’s health and mental acuity.
Despite these criticisms from influential donors, it seems that Biden is firmly committed to staying in his position.
During a recent campaign staff call, he made it clear that he intends to persevere until the very end, undeterred by any attempts to remove him from office.
During the call, Biden said, “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running. No one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving.”
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