A hoarse-sounding Biden who struggled to finish sentences during his debate with former President Trump Thursday night did little to quell fears among the American people already worried about his age. For his most ardent supporters and donors, the 81-year-old president’s performance was “excruciating.”
Betty Cotton of New York, who has donated thousands to President Biden’s re-election campaign and serves as a regional finance committee member, said it was hard to watch.
“It was a disaster last night,” she said. “He should seriously think about stepping down so that we don’t lose the election.”
Less than 24 hours since the two men left the debate stage, Democratic donors were feverishly texting each other about facing a free fall ahead of the August convention in Chicago. With the clock ticking, bundlers − the people who give and rake in large sums − were openly wondering if they should be thinking about putting their money elsewhere. Other givers are having backroom discussions about whether they should step up to pressure Biden to step down directly.
Her plan for Friday consisted of getting on a lot of Zooms and air out the concerns of fellow donors and organizers. She’s been fielding panicked texts and emails since Thursday night, minutes into the debate starting.
