President Joe Biden is facing increasing pressure from prominent celebrities and influential donors to step down from his reelection bid. This wave of dissent follows his shaky performance at the first presidential debate against Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump, which has led to questions about his capability to run for another term.
Despite Biden’s insistence on his ability to run and win again, his confidence has not quelled the concerns of some of his once-ardent supporters. On Monday, bestselling horror author Stephen King, 76, tweeted that while “Joe Biden has been a fine president,” it’s time for him “in the interests of the America he so clearly loves – to announce he will not run for re-election.”
Rob Reiner, the 77-year-old director of “When Harry Met Sally…” and “Stand by Me,” echoed King’s sentiments. “If the Convicted Felon wins, we lose our Democracy. Joe Biden has effectively served US with honor, decency, and dignity. It’s time for Joe Biden to step down,” Reiner wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Damon Lindelof, co-creator of “Lost” and a self-proclaimed “lifelong Democrat,” also voiced his concerns. In a guest column for Deadline, Lindelof urged others to withhold their donations to the Democratic party until “there’s change at the top of the ticket.” He stated, “When Joe finally leaves the mound, I will stand and applaud. Because he truly pitched a great game.”
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, one of the Democratic party’s biggest donors, has also called for Biden to drop out of the race. In an email to The New York Times, Hastings wrote, “Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous.”
Director Michael Moore, known for his documentaries “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11,” took a more extreme stance. During an appearance on MSNBC, Moore, 70, accused the Democratic party of committing “elder abuse” by pushing Biden to continue with his election campaign. “The problem here is that I think there is a form of elder abuse going on here where the Democratic Party and the people that are part of the apparatus are pushing and pushing him to stay,” Moore said. “I don’t know about you, but in spite of my criticisms with Biden, watching the debate a week ago was heartbreaking. It was like, imagine that was your father up there.”
Abigail Disney, a longstanding Democratic donor and Disney heiress, also expressed her concerns. She hailed Biden as “a good man” who had served his country “admirably,” but warned that the GOP would win in November if a change of leadership was not made. “I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket,” she said in a statement shared with CNBC.
The hosts of “The View” were among the first major commentators to insist on Biden’s exit from the race. The day after Biden’s debate, the talk show hosts discussed his poor performance, with Sara Haines declaring, “It kind of pains me to say this today, but I think President Biden needs to step down and be replaced if we want to defeat Donald Trump in November.”
Despite these calls for him to step down, Biden remains resolute. In an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Biden defended his performance and insisted he could win against Trump and run the country for another four years. “I’m the most qualified person to beat him, and I know how to get things done,” Biden said. He attributed his poor debate performance to exhaustion, stating, “It was a bad episode — no indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted.”
Biden also made it clear that he has no intention of exiting the race. “If the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race,” he said. “But the Lord Almighty’s not coming down.”
The debate over Biden’s candidacy has even led to some light-hearted moments. After Stephen King’s tweet urging Biden to step aside, X owner and Republican party supporter Elon Musk joked, “Even Stephen King is voting for Trump!” However, there is no indication that King would consider supporting Trump, as he has been a vocal critic of the former president.
As the 2024 election approaches, the pressure on Biden from celebrities and donors to step down continues to mount. Whether this will lead to a change in the Democratic ticket remains to be seen, but the calls for new leadership are growing louder.
Source: The New York Times, Deadline, CNBC, ABC News, MSNBC
