‘There is a sense that the money dried up … about 10 minutes into the debate’
After he rambled an incoherent answer to one question, Trump said dismissively: “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.”
“With all the text chains I’m on, people are basically like, ‘If he doesn’t drop out, we’re not giving any more money to Democrats or the Democratic Party.’ It’s like super intense,” said one high-profile Hollywood donor.
Another connected insider adds: “There is a sense that the money dried up … about 10 minutes into the debate.”
“It’s just really hard to see how we keep supporting him. He needs to dig deep about whether he can in good conscience be our nominee,” Hannah Linkenhoker, an advisor to several Hollywood donors, told the outlet.
“How long it last depends on how bad it gets, and if the campaign takes real action. We can’t have a repeat of last night,” they told the trade.
Another top Tinseltown donor called Biden’s turnout against Trump “A f***ing joke!” adding, “Do that really think we’re idiots, we have eyes!”
Hosts of The View, who have typically been in Biden’s corner, begged the commander-in-chief to resign from his post.
“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,” Sara Haines said. “I think Biden’s team saw it coming,” she continued. “I think that’s why they pushed for an earlier debate, so they’d have time to change course if needed, but they’ve got to act fast. I’d implore those closest to the president to have those very hard conversations they’re going to need to have. Not just for political ramifications, for humanity, for integrity, and for his legacy. That’s all on the line right now.”
Onetime Trump supporter Alyssa Farah Griffin also urged Biden to “step aside.”
“Donald Trump was a mess. He lied his way through it, but Joe Biden’s performance was so bad that it eclipsed everything that Donald Trump said,” Griffen observed. “He needs to put country before his own ambition and he needs to step aside and pass the baton.”
Even though his team said he raised $14 million on debate day and the morning after, Biden needs the backing of Hollywood to keep in step with Trump. Last month, Biden raised a record $30-million plus in a single fundraising event attended by A-list names like George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack Black, Barbra Streisand and more.
“Biden’s inner circle demanded this early debate. There is a growing belief this was a ‘soft coup’ because they know he isn’t fit to govern and have known for some time,” a former aide to Hillary Clinton tells the outlet. “They wanted to test him against Trump early, while there was still time to replace him if he failed to rise to the occasion. Which, of course, he did spectacularly.”
“It’s a mess,” the person said.