Biden is Facing Growing Pressure to End His Re-election Campaign
FASANO, ITALY - JUNE 13: U.S. President Joe Biden attends a roundtable session entitled "Africa, climate change and development" on day one of the 50th G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia on June 13, 2024 in Fasano, Italy. The G7 summit in Puglia, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the seventh held in Italy, gathers leaders from the seven member states, the EU Council, and the EU Commission. Discussions will focus on topics including Africa, climate change, development, the Middle East, Ukraine, migration, Indo-Pacific economic security, and artificial intelligence. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Long-time Democratic Party donor Whitney Tilson wants President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. Dr. Sanjay Gupta: ‘It’s time for President Biden to undergo detailed cognitive and neurological testing and share his results.’ Netflix’s co-founder and executive chairman Reed Hastings doubled down on his call for Biden to step aside after the interview. “Biden is unfortunately in denial about his mental state,” Hastings said in a statement to ABC News “He needs to step aside to let a vigorous Democratic leader beat Trump.” Bill Harris, the former CEO of PayPal, told the outlet that Biden “seemed old” in the interview and he thinks it may turn off voters who are skeptical of Biden’s abilities. He donated $620,000 to the Biden Victory Fund in 2020 but thinks the idea of Biden stepping aside in this race is “inevitable.”
Ahead of the ABC interview, Whitney Tilson, a major investor for Democrats, told ABC News that one great interview wouldn’t change his view that it’s “highly unlikely” that Biden will beat Trump in November. Tilson told the outlet that “even the wealthiest people have limitations to money” and he wants to hold his donation in order to support the candidates that “throw their hat in the ring.” In a lengthy post on social media platform X, Tilson said Biden’s campaign is “a ghost.” “It’s over,” he posted after the interview, calling it a “cringeworthy public display of irreversible aging.” Billionaire Rick Caruso also posted online saying it’s time for Biden to step aside. “I deeply respect Joe Biden’s lifetime of service to our country,” he said, adding, “In this critical time, in this vital election, stepping aside is the right and honorable thing for President Biden to do.
Before the interview, Damon Lindelof the co-creator of “Lost” and a notable Democratic Party supporter, called on his fellow Democratic donors to stop giving money to the party until Biden steps down. He said Biden’s debate performance was “game-changing” and said it’s time for someone new. Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of The Walt Disney Co. co-founder Roy O. Disney, said Thursday that she plans to stop donating to the Democratic Party unless Biden drops out. “This is realism, not disrespect,” she said in an interview. “Biden is a good man and has served this country admirably, but the stakes are far too high.” Self-help author Marianne Williamson presses Biden to withdraw: ‘We need to recalibrate quickly’. Pollster Nate Silver calls for Biden to resign after ‘incoherent’ comments in ABC interview. As of Saturday evening, five House Democrats have publicly gone against the party and asked Biden to step aside so a new candidate can take on former President Trump. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., became the fifth House Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to exit the 2024 race Saturday, joining Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley and Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva.
Biden has faced growing pressure to end his reelection campaign since his first debate against former President Donald Trump June 27. His raspy voice, verbal stumbles and sinking poll numbers prompted panic within his party that the president has tried to calm over the last week. But after his defiant post-debate interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that aired Friday, even more Democrats are questioning his viability as a candidate. He has not convinced all Democrats, including lawmakers and donors that he is fit to take on former President Trump and serve another four years. Calls continue for him to step aside and allow someone else the chance to run. Earlier this week, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey became the first Democratic governor to ask Biden to reevaluate his 2024 campaign and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., reportedly began organizing a group of Democratic senators to ask Biden to drop out.
In the hopes to help out with his radio station interviews, the Biden team sent between 4 and 8 ‘approved’ questions to radio stations that could be asked during interviews with Joe Biden. There were no negotiations on what questions that interviewers could ask on their own. They got caught performing this practice, and have announced that they wouldn’t provide ‘approved’ questions for future interviews.
