Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings has called on Joe Biden to step away from the 2024 US presidential election, citing the need for a vigorous Democratic leader who can defeat presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. This comes amid growing pressure on the president following his “disastrous” debate performance last week against Trump. Hastings is one of the first major Democratic donors to speak out about this issue publicly, though many others reportedly feel the same privately.
According to The New York Times, Hastings has become a significant donor to the Democratic Party in recent years, contributing over $20 million with his wife Patty Quillin, including substantial sums for both the 2020 and the potential 2024 campaigns of Joe Biden. Most of these contributions have gone towards super PACs aimed at supporting House and Senate Democrats.
The Times previously reported that some key donors were exploring ways to replace Biden with a stronger candidate on the 2024 ticket, following his weak debate performance where he frequently stumbled over his words and lost his train of thought. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after the debate found that one in three Democrats believe that Biden should step down.
The White House and the Biden campaign have offered various explanations for his poor performance at the debate, such as Biden’s busy international travel leading up to the event, which he claims almost caused him to fall asleep on stage. Despite these challenges, the White House has dismissed rumors of a potential withdrawal from the race by President Biden, with press spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre stating that he remains “clear-eyed” and will continue his campaign for reelection in 2024.