Hollywood donors threaten to dump Democrats after Biden’s debate flop

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High-profile Hollywood donors are banding together behind the scenes to encourage U.S. President Joe Biden to ditch his re-election bid.

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According to Variety, prominent backers in the entertainment world are fretting after the 81-year-old Democratic president mumbled and stumbled his way through a 90-minute debate against former President Donald Trump last week that was watched by over 50 million Americans and seen around the world. At times, Biden seemed to be confused and was repeatedly caught on camera with a blank stare.

After he rambled an incoherent answer to one question, Trump said dismissively: “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.” 

“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,” said one high-profile Hollywood donor.

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Another connected insider adds: “There is a sense that the money dried up … about 10 minutes into the debate.”

“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,” Hannah Linkenhoker, an advisor to several Hollywood donors, told the outlet.

One source told Deadline that there will be a pause in blindly handing money over to the Biden campaign.

“How long it last depends on how bad it gets, and if the campaign takes real action. We can’t have a repeat of last night,” they told the trade.

Another top Tinseltown donor called Biden’s turnout against Trump “A f***ing joke!” adding, “Do that really think we’re idiots, we have eyes!” 

Hosts of The View, who have typically been in Biden’s corner, begged the commander-in-chief to resign from his post.

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“It kind of pains me to say this today, but I think President Biden needs to step down and be replaced if we want to defeat Donald Trump in November,” Sara Haines said. “I think Biden’s team saw it coming,” she continued. “I think that’s why they pushed for an earlier debate, so they’d have time to change course if needed, but they’ve got to act fast. I’d implore those closest to the president to have those very hard conversations they’re going to need to have. Not just for political ramifications, for humanity, for integrity, and for his legacy. That’s all on the line right now.”

Onetime Trump supporter Alyssa Farah Griffin also urged Biden to “step aside.”

“Donald Trump was a mess. He lied his way through it, but Joe Biden’s performance was so bad that it eclipsed everything that Donald Trump said,” Griffen observed. “He needs to put country before his own ambition and he needs to step aside and pass the baton.”

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Even though his team said he raised $14 million on debate day and the morning after, Biden needs the backing of Hollywood to keep in step with Trump. Last month, Biden raised a record $30-million plus in a single fundraising event attended by A-list names like George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack Black, Barbra Streisand and more.

To try and dampen questions surrounding his re-election campaign, Variety reported that Biden’s team sent out an email blast from Robert De Niro on Friday. In his message, the two-time Oscar winner begged recipients to donate to Biden’s fading bid. “It’s going to take all of us to make sure Donald Trump never returns to the White House, so I’m personally asking: Will you please chip in $25 to the Biden-Harris reelection campaign to help ensure Donald Trump never steps foot in the White House again?” the message read.

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Biden’s allies tried to paint a picture of a man still prepared to serve another four-year term, at the end of which he’ll be 85. Former President Barack Obama tried to excuse Biden’s performance, writing on X: “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself,” Obama wrote. “Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”

Former President Bill Clinton listed off Biden’s accomplishments to deflect from his bad debate night, saying, “Facts and history matter.”

Meanwhile, some sources hinted at a darker plot with several insiders telling The Mail on Sunday that Biden was set up to fail so that the party could make a move to replace him.

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“Biden’s inner circle demanded this early debate. There is a growing belief this was a ‘soft coup’ because they know he isn’t fit to govern and have known for some time,” a former aide to Hillary Clinton tells the outlet. “They wanted to test him against Trump early, while there was still time to replace him if he failed to rise to the occasion. Which, of course, he did spectacularly.”

Although Biden tried to put on an air of confidence following his poor showing, Biden was described to NBC News by one confidante as “humiliated, devoid of confidence and painfully aware that the physical images of him at the debate — eyes staring into the distance, mouth agape — will live beyond his presidency.”

“It’s a mess,” the person said.

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