Democratic donors remain torn as the Biden campaign continues to try to calm worries from supporters and party members about the future of President Joe Biden’s reelection bid in the wake of Thursday’s debate performance.
On Monday evening, the Biden campaign held a call with more than 500 regional and national finance chairs – who raise money for the campaign and the Democratic Party – during which senior campaign advisers defended Biden’s health and gave assurances he could carry on with his 2024 campaign.
The call took place amid continued questions about Biden’s ability to fight off former President Donald Trump, especially as the president attempts to galvanize Democratic donors as he entered July with less cash on hand than the Trump campaign.
According to people on the call, senior campaign advisers, including Jen O’Malley Dillon, Quentin Fulks and Molly Murphy, led the conversation, acknowledging it was a bad debate for Biden but stressing he’s still the party’s nominee and that the base is excited.
The campaign advisers also noted that a few hundred campaign events for Biden took place around the country this past weekend and touted the fundraising haul since the debate, people who were on the call told ABC News, with the campaign and the Democratic Party raking in $33 million in the days since.
President Joe Biden speaks during a presidential debate with Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, in Atlanta, June 27, 2024.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
One source on the call told ABC News, “It was good, honest assessment – no surprising questions nor surprising answers but it was good for them to do.”
But skepticism from donors and fundraisers remains. The first question the campaign fielded on the call was about the 81-year-old president’s stamina, one person on the call told ABC News. Dillon responded, “Biden knows he has to show who he is,” but added, “At the end of the day the president has put out robust medical records,” the person said.
The campaign advisers mostly did not address what the campaign will do if polling indicates a significant reduction in support, people on the call said.
One person on the call told ABC News that he felt there was a lack of responsibility from the campaign on what happened on the debate stage last week, and that people were looking for someone to take on responsibility. Without that, the person said he doesn’t believe Biden’s fundraising can return to normal.
President Joe Biden listens during a visit to the D.C. Emergency Operations Center, July 2, 2024, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP
Soon after Thursday night’s debate, influential billionaire donor Reid Hoffman came out in support of Biden in an email to his donor network explaining why others should do so as well.
While acknowledging that Biden’s debate performance “delivered a blow to the mood among donors and organizers,” Hoffman said the debate “revealed nothing new” and that “If we’re musing on Biden’s flaws, we’re not organizing around Trump’s flaws. That’s bad for us and good for them.”
“Being a good President has little to do with being a good debater,” Hoffman wrote.
Donors across the country are divided on how the Democratic Party should move forward, some doubling down on support for Biden with others expressing skepticism.
Major Democratic donor and fundraiser Susie Buell praised Biden as a “great president” and said “he’s a man full of wisdom.”
“If he has a good team around him and he’s still managing, he will be fine … He can do this though. We just have to be there for him,” Buell said.
Susie Buell’s husband and fellow longtime Democratic donor Mark Buell, speaking separately to ABC News, added he believes there’s “plenty of time” to put someone else as the Democratic Party’s nominee, saying the party needs to do a “risk assessment.”
Praising Biden as the “most accomplished” president since Franklin Roosevelt, Mark Buell — who at one point described the president as “diminished” –noted Biden is 81 years old and added, “we thought we’re ready for the next generation and that didn’t happen, and very few people had anything to say in that process because Biden opted to run, he has delegates and he’s home free.”
“It will be data driven to see what horse we’re going to ride to the finish line,” Mark Buell said.
Another Democratic donor, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely, was more critical: “They can bring him to do 20 more speeches. He can’t recover from this.”
Saying he would like to see California Gov. Gavin Newsom as Biden’s replacement, the donor said, “Someone needs to talk to Biden. Obama needs to talk to him. He’s been president two damn times. He can’t stay quiet.”
Some said they’re confused and conflicted — thoughts shifting as every hour passed as news cycles changed.
One California mega donor who had said earlier last weekend, “I am digesting it all. This is tough,” later said: “I really think he should step aside otherwise we lose.”
“I don’t think last night is recoverable. But probably he can’t be convinced so nothing will change and we will keep fighting to the end. A lot can happen between now and Nov maybe we catch a lucky break,” the donor continued.
Ajay Bhutoria, another Democratic donor, maintained it’s a choice between Biden and Trump, saying he tells people, “‘It was just one night and a president with a cold and sore throat is better than a convicted felon … Compare the presidencies of the two candidates and not just a one night debate.”
ABC News’ Selina Wang contributed to this report.
As the 2020 presidential election draws near, Democratic donors are finding themselves divided as former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign seeks to reassure supporters of its viability. With the Democratic primary field narrowing down to just a few candidates, many donors are feeling torn between supporting Biden, who is seen as a more moderate choice, or throwing their weight behind a more progressive candidate.
Biden’s campaign has been working hard to address concerns from donors who are worried about his ability to compete against President Donald Trump in the general election. The campaign has been emphasizing Biden’s experience and electability, pointing to his strong polling numbers and support among key demographics.
However, some donors remain skeptical. They worry that Biden’s moderate stance on issues like healthcare and climate change may not be enough to energize the Democratic base and win over independent voters. Some donors are also concerned about Biden’s age and whether he can effectively take on Trump in debates and on the campaign trail.
On the other hand, progressive donors are looking to candidates like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have been pushing for bold, progressive policies like Medicare for All and a Green New Deal. These donors believe that a more progressive candidate is needed to inspire turnout among young and progressive voters and to bring about real change in Washington.
The divide among Democratic donors reflects a larger debate within the party about the best path forward to defeat Trump in 2020. Some believe that a moderate candidate like Biden is the safest choice to appeal to a broad range of voters, while others argue that a more progressive candidate is needed to excite the base and bring about transformative change.
As the primary season heats up, Democratic donors will have to make tough decisions about where to put their money and support. Whether they choose to back Biden or a more progressive candidate, one thing is clear: the stakes are high in the fight to defeat Trump and reclaim the White House in 2020.
