A major Democratic donor is blaming first lady Jill Biden.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman said on social media that President Biden’s debate performance last week made it obvious he shouldn’t be running for president but the first lady won’t let him quit.

“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,” he wrote on X, tagging both their official accounts.

“FL 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 traveling the world,” Mr. Ackman wrote.

He said he was “sorry to be harsh, but what has become entirely clear is that the First Lady values what is best for herself over her husband’s health and the safety and security of the country at large.”

Mr. Ackman has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, former 2020 presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg and former President Barack Obama.

But he has become skeptical of the Democratic Party in the past year or so, having already said he will not back Mr. Biden’s re-election over what he called his lack of support for Israel.

In Sunday’s X post, Mr. Ackman said that Mrs. Biden paradoxically gains power as her husband becomes less mentally aware, through the simple fact of access.

“Her power has clearly grown as he gets weaker. And she likes the feeling of power. She speaks for the president when he can’t or when he is napping. She tells his team and staff when he is available, and when he is not. She likes being in control. We all do,” he said.

That raises the question, he asked rhetorically: “how many decisions of the president are actually made by the [first lady]?”

• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.