A growing number of Democrats are urging Joe Biden to conclude his bid for re-election and make way for a younger contender after a series of stumbling performances on stage.
Concerns about his recent debate performance have escalated within the party over the past two weeks, drawing criticism from politicians, donors and other insiders.
Figures of interest
Critics in the House of Representatives and beyond are now adding their voices to those pushing for a reconsideration of Mr Biden’s candidacy.
George Clooney, a prominent Democratic donor and friend of Mr Biden, publicly called on the president to end his re-election campaign as the latter welcomed world leaders to a Nato summit in Washington, DC on Wednesday.
Mr Clooney expressed concerns that Mr Biden is not the “same” as he was in 2010 nor during his candidacy in 2020, urging the Democratic Party to address the situation at its upcoming national convention.
Calling for the party to “figure it out”, he said: “We are not going to win in November with this president.”
The heiress to the Disney fortune withdrew her financial support, saying that the Democrats would “not receive a single dime” until they “bite the bullet” and replace Mr Biden.
“Biden is a good man who has served his country well, but the stakes are far too high to allow timidity to determine our course of action,” Ms Disney, who has long been a major Democratic donor, said on July 4.
Gideon Stein, philanthropist, revealed that he would pause planned donations of $3.5 million to the Biden campaign.
“Joe Biden has been a very effective president, but unless he steps aside my family and I are pausing on more than $3 million in planned donations to nonprofits and political organisations aligned with the presidential race, with the exception of some down-ballot work,” Mr Stein said.
“Virtually every major donor I’ve talked to believes that we need a new candidate in order to defeat Donald Trump.”
Reed Hastings, the Netflix co-founder and a major Democrat donor, called for Mr Biden to withdraw from the presidential race in an article for the Economist on July 3.
Alongside his wife Patty Quillin, Mr Hastings has donated more than $20 million in recent years, including roughly $1.5 million to Mr Biden during his 2020 campaign.
“Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous,” he said in an email to The New York Times.
Bill Harris, a former chief executive of Intuit and PayPal, announced that he is leading a small group of Democratic donors who have committed $2 million to support funding for presidential debates among potential nominees, should Mr Biden choose to step aside.
“It’s not that we have to protect ourselves from chaos and drama,” Mr Harris said. “We need drama and a little chaos. I think it can be refreshing and energising.”
Whitney Tilson, author and investor, ordinarily gives around £100,000 per year to the Democrats, but he said he was reconsidering his support after Mr Biden’s stumbling performances.
“I feel deceived. For months my Republican friends have been sending me videos from Twitter and Fox ‘News’ that appear to show Biden’s dementia,” Mr Tilson wrote X, formerly known as Twitter, at the end of June.
“If it’s as bad as what we all witnessed on Thursday night, then he needs to put his country first and step aside immediately,” he added.
Rick Caruso, a Los Angeles developer and former mayoral candidate, was a Democratic donor and co-hosted a multi-million-dollar fundraiser for Mr Biden in December.
He announced in a July 6 interview that he would halt his efforts to support Mr Biden’s re-election until he can obtain more clarity on the matter.
“The question is not only can you be a viable candidate, but also do you have the ability to be the president of the United States?,” Mr Caruso said.
He added on X that stepping aside was the “honourable thing for president Biden to do”.
Damon Lindelof, Hollywood showrunner and longstanding Democratic donor, wrote an article in Deadline urging Mr Biden to step down from the race early in July.
He advised fellow Democrats to cease funding a candidate who should withdraw from the campaign.
“I am a lifelong Democrat and I love my complicated, glorious country. I am not writing this anonymously because I’m asking others in positions of influence to do the same.
“I don’t know if what I have to say will matter, but I know what my eyes and my ears and my heart tell me,” he added. “I’ve been asleep at the wheel and it’s time to wake the f--- up.”
The film director, whose credits include Spinal Tap, said on X: “It’s time to stop f—ing around,” the director wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “If the convicted felon wins, we lose our democracy. Joe Biden has effectively served the US with honour, decency, and dignity. It’s time for Joe Biden to step down.”
A long-time donor to the Democrats, he is one of Hollywood’s most prominent party supporters.
Bill Ackman, a billionaire fund manager who backed Dean Phillips for the nomination has blamed Jill Biden for her husband not stepping down.
“I no longer blame Biden for not stepping aside. He no longer has the mental acuity to make important judgments about himself. It is becoming increasingly clear however that the fault lies with Jill Biden.
“First lady Jill Biden becomes irrelevant the moment her husband is no longer president. No more Air Force One. No more glamorous life. No more White House dinners for dignitaries. No more being treated like a queen when travelling the world.”
Mr Ackman is now likely to back Donald Trump.
Peter Welch, a veteran Democratic senator from Vermont with over two decades of service, became the first senator to publicly urge Mr Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on July 10.
Mr Welch told the Washington Post: “We need him to put us first, as he has done before,” he said. “I urge him to do it now.”
Hillary Scholten serves as the US representative for Michigan’s 3rd congressional district and has typically supported Mr Biden’s legislative agenda on issues such as healthcare, immigration reform, and economic policies. Following the first presidential debate, she said she was “concerned” by Mr Biden’s performance.
But after Mr Biden’s speech on July 11, she withdrew her support, writing: “It has become clear over the last several weeks that a change needs to be made.”
Greg Stanton, a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives, has generally supported Mr Biden and his administration’s agenda.
In a statement on July 11, Mr Stanton touted himself as one of Biden’s early supporters in 2020, but that the stakes in the election “could not be higher”.
He added: “For our country’s sake, it is time for the president to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.”
Scott Peters, a representative for California’s 52nd congressional district, is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of 100 centrist Democrats in the House.
He asked Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign because “the stakes are high, and we are on a losing course”, in a statement released on July 11.
“My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the president and those around him,” he added.
Eric Sorensen, a representative for Illinois, said he is “hopeful” that Mr Biden will step aside.
“In 2020, Joe Biden ran for president with the purpose of putting country over party. Today, I am asking him to do that again,” he said on July 11.
Brad Schneider, a representative for Illinois, said that he “loved” Mr Biden and was “forever grateful for his leadership and service to our nation”.
But he added on July 11: “The time has come, however, for president Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership to guide us to the future he has enabled and empowered us to pursue.”
Marie Gluesenkamp of Washington issued a statement on the afternoon of July 11 in which she suggested “unelected advisers” are “making important decisions” about the country, rather than Mr Biden. She also implied the president should abandon his re-election bid.
“Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job,” she said. “The crisis of confidence in the president’s leadership needs to come to an end. The president should do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first.”
Jim Himes of Connecticut is a high-ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee.
On July 11 he wrote: “The 2024 election will define the future of American democracy, and we must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s promised MAGA authoritarianism.”
Ed Case from Hawaii broke ranks with the rest of the state’s congressional delegation when stating that Mr Biden should end his re-election bid.
“Difficult times and realities require difficult decisions,” he wrote, adding “my guidepost is what is the best way forward for our country”.
Pat Ryan, representing a vulnerable seat in New York State, urged Mr Biden to fulfil his earlier promise to act as a bridge to a “new generation” of leaders and to step aside “for the good of our country” on July 10.
Earl Blumenauer is a long-time Leftist who is set to retire at the end of his long term. He said on July 10 that he hoped Mr Biden would end his bid because the 2024 race was “not just about extending his presidency but protecting democracy”.
Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, who is typically centre-Left, wrote that “the stakes are too high – and the threat is too real – to stay silent” because Democrats “cannot allow Trump to return to the White House”.
Adam Smith of Washington, a high-ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, expressed concerns that Mr Biden was no longer able to “clearly, articulately, and strongly make his case to the American people”.
“I think it’s become clear that he’s not the best person to carry the Democratic message,” he said on July 8.
Angie Craig of Minnesota, representing a swing district, voiced concerns about Mr Biden’s debate performance and subsequent “lack of a forceful response”.
She cautioned that time was running out to select a replacement, emphasising the urgency of the situation.
“I do not believe that the president can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump,” she said on July 6.
Lloyd Doggett, a congressman from Texas serving his 15th term, was the first House Democrat to publicly call for Biden to step aside.
The 77-year-old member of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, expressed his respect for “all that president Biden has achieved”, but criticised him for failing to “effectively defend his many accomplishments” on the debate stage.
“The need for him to step aside is more urgent tonight than when I first called for it on Tuesday,” he said on July 5.
Mike Quigley, an Illinois congressman heavily involved in planning the Democratic National Convention, made a direct plea to Mr Biden, acknowledging his legacy, but urging him to “let someone else do this” at this critical juncture.
“I would say: Mr president, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this,” he said on July 5.
Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, a former 2020 presidential candidate, has said that he no longer had confidence in Mr Biden’s ability to defeat Trump.
“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in… George Washington’s footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” he said on July 4.
On July 3, he had expressed “grave concerns” about Mr Biden’s ability to defeat Donald Trump.
Raul Grijalva, Arizona progressive, told the New York Times that the Biden campaign was in a “precarious” state and emphasised that Mr Biden must now bear the responsibility of maintaining control of the White House.
“What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat – and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race,” he said on July 3.
No Democratic governors have yet called on Mr Biden to step aside.
