Democrat donors ‘withhold $90m unless Biden stands down’ as Obama and Pelosi ‘oppose President’s re-election bid’
13 July 2024, 09:10
Democrat donors are ‘withholding $90m worth of donations’ until Joe Biden steps down after yet another series of gaffes from the US President.
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It comes as President Biden loses support from senior Democrats, including the former President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The President has been making public gaffes, including mixing up names and dates, for several years, but concerns over his cognitive function were amplified folllwing a disastrous CNN debate against Donald Trump last month.
Mr Biden has moved to quell fears, insisting he is still mentally able to do the job, but the President made another gaffe at Nato this week when he confused Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, with Vladimir Putin.
Just moments later he also confused Donald Trump and his Vice President, Kamala Harris.
Now senior donors, some of which are reportedly ready to donate as much as $10 million, are holding back their money until Mr Biden steps aside for a younger candidate, The New York Times reports.
It follows the leak of an Open Labs polls, which shows VP Harris, Gavin Newsom, the California governor, and Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, stacking up better against Trump than Biden in head-to-heads.
Mr Biden has repeatedly refused to stand down, writing a open furious letter to Democrats last week which insisted: "I am running.'
James O'Brien reacts to Joe Biden's latest verbal gaffes
He also phoned into MSNBC's Morning Joe, telling the Democrat 'elites' to challenge him at the party's convention next month.
So far, at least 19 members of Congress have openly called on Biden to quit, while this week, Ms Pelosi said he should defer his decision until after Nato.
The former House Speaker's comments came before the President's gaffes involving Putin and his vice President.
"We're all encouraging him to make that decision," Pelosi said, "because time is running short".
"But he's beloved, he is respected and people want him to make that decision."
