We reported on Friday that Kamala Harris was going to have a conference call with big Democrat donors. The meeting was put together on short notice. However, at the time of the report, it was not clear what message she was going to deliver to them.
The donors who have largely funded the Biden-Harris campaign were so spooked by Biden’s disastrous debate performance that they stopped writing checks and threatened to withhold donations unless Joe Biden was replaced.
Would Harris encourage them to calm down and unite behind Biden, or was another message going to be delivered? Perhaps a coup?
An email from tech billionaire Reid Hoffman, a major donor to the Democratic Party, revealed that the meeting would address "urgent, emerging needs" and include the vice president and key voter outreach leaders. Hoffman emphasized the importance of staying focused on protecting democracy amid the high stakes of the current political cycle.
We now have details about the call.
According to the New York Times, the call included roughly 300 donors, and "several listeners said they found the meeting overall to be of little value and even, at times, condescending, believing that the message ignored donors’ legitimate concerns about the Biden-led ticket."
Kamala Harris reportedly spoke for just over five minutes via video, focused on criticizing Donald Trump for his convention speech, and tried to link him to Project 2025. She only briefly mentioned Joe Biden but did not take questions. Harris emphasized that Trump’s speech was a distraction from his record and the significance of the election. While some listeners found her delivery strong, it did little to reassure them.
In fact, some seemed to find the entire call insulting.
After the call, one group that had promoted it in advance apologized to its members for having done so.
“Not surprisingly, there was no news generated on this call, and instead, it was a pitch for donors to continue to invest in groups on the ground who are working to defeat Donald Trump,” read an email from Corridor Partners, which advises donors focused on climate issues. “The vice president spoke very briefly and encouraged us all to keep working hard to win in November.”
The email, which was viewed by The New York Times, added, “The call was not productive, and we wanted to apologize to each of you who joined for sharing that invitation.”
Before Kamala Harris joined the call, leaders from progressive groups like Somos Votantes raised concerns that discussions about Joe Biden's viability were damaging their efforts and not aligning with voters' priorities, such as the economy. They believed there was a disconnect between elite opinions and those of the general public. However, after Harris finished speaking, one participant, who was accidentally unmuted, described the call as “ludicrous.”
Related: It Looks Like Biden Is Staying in the Race
We seem to be in the midst of a high-stakes game of chicken between Joe Biden and the donors who fund his campaign. Biden's refusal to step down, despite mounting pressure and declining support, sets the stage for a tense standoff.
The outcome of this standoff hinges on who will blink first. Will Biden’s refusal to step down force their hand, or will the lack of money force Biden to drop out?
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