A group of wealthy Democratic donors has pledged $2 million to fund new debates among presidential candidates if President Joe Biden decides to drop out of the race, The Washington Post reported.
The group, led by former Intuit and PayPal chief executive Bill Harris, is calling for an open Democratic primary to decide which candidate would replace the president, according to the outlet.
The move is reportedly aimed at preventing a situation where Vice President Kamala Harris automatically gets the nod if Biden decides to suspend his campaign for a second term in office, according to the outlet.
“It’s not that we have to protect ourselves from chaos and drama,” Bill Harris argued. “We need drama and a little chaos. I think it can be refreshing and energizing.”
Bill Harris, a former chief executive of Intuit and PayPal, said he is leading a small group of Democratic donors who have pledged $2 million to help fund presidential debates among potential nominees if President Biden decides to step aside. https://t.co/MAxCcAGTzN
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 5, 2024
Harris pushed back against the claim that regular voters were not affected by Biden’s performance at the first presidential debate. Notably, Harris financed two private polls by Emerson College since 2023 to study worries voters have about Biden’s age, with a third poll underway, according to the outlet.
“It’s the opposite,” he said. “The voters have been there for a long time, and it’s the Democratic establishment and the Beltway community that has been so slow and reluctant to face reality.”
Harris also predicted Biden would step down as an inevitability.
“I don’t think it matters whether the president does well or does poorly this evening — this concern is bigger than a single interview and bigger than a single debate,” he wrote to The Washington Post ahead of Biden’s Friday interview with ABC. “It is a rolling thunder that will not crest or subside.”
In 2020, Harris gave $620,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, the outlet reported, citing campaign finance records. Harris, however, has reportedly not donated to Biden’s 2024 campaign — instead opting to support Democratic candidates for Congress — due to concerns about the president’s age.
The development comes amid increasing doubts about President Biden’s ability to perform his duties in the White House. His poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump has spread worries about his age and suspected cognitive issues. (RELATED: ‘That Guy Was Not On The Stage’: Van Jones Says Biden Isn’t Dealing With ‘Reality’ Despite Coming Out For Interview)
During a Friday rally in Madison, Wisconsin, President Biden indicated he does not plan to bow out of the race. “I am running, and I’m going to win again,” he told the crowd.
Nevertheless, doubts about Biden’s chances of winning the election persist as some Democrats have called for him to drop out.
