WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Major Democratic donors have threatened to withhold donations as long as President Joe Biden remains in the race for the White House.
This comes as several lawmakers in the president’s party have called for Biden to drop out of the election following his poor debate performance.
Major donors withdraw support
Most recently, Abigail Disney withdrew her support for the president, telling CNBC on Thursday that she plans to stop all donations to the Democratic party as long as Biden remains the frontrunner.
Big-time donor Damon Lindelof has also pulled back, not mincing words, saying Democrats have to move fast. and not give a penny until there is change at the top of the ticket.
James Carville, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, advised donors who want a new nominee for the 2024 election to cut off funds to politicians who won’t stand by them.
However, after a meeting with Biden earlier this week, many Democratic governors are still throwing their full support behind him.
“I had the opportunity to talk to the president … I mean this with absolute conviction, that was the Joe Biden I remembered from two weeks ago. That was the Joe Biden I remembered from two years ago. That’s the Joe Biden that I’m looking forward to reelecting as president of the United States,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said during an event Thursday in South Haven, Michigan.
Another chance at redemption?
Plus, despite the backlash, others are still trying to give Biden another chance at redemption.
Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer is one of them. She said Biden should get two weeks to prove himself after his shaky debate performance.
In an attempt to redeem himself, Biden will join ABC News Friday evening for a high-stakes interview.
ABC News confirmed it will air the whole interview from start to finish. The broadcast company also said it would release a full transcript of the unedited interview.
Trump fuels campaign with Biden mishaps
Former President Donald Trump has also used Biden’s debate fallout as an opportunity to bolster his campaign. He posted to Truth Social, saying in part, “ABC, and Liddle’ George, a tiny, angry man, can make up for their past indiscretions and journalistic failures by doing a real interview with Crooked Joe, not a cut-up promotion with only his few coherent answ4ers released to the public.”
Regardless of the political pressure the president currently faces, Biden was present Thursday for Fourth of July events, making a patriotic speech in which he did seem to lose his train of thought at some points throughout.
During the event, a supporter yelled at Biden, saying, “Keep up the fight, we need you.”
The president responded, “You got me, man. I’m not going anywhere.”