Top Democratic fundraiser Lindy Lee said it’s becoming increasingly difficult to raise donations for President Biden’s reelection campaign, and calls for him to withdraw continue to grow.
Lee made the remarks during an appearance on Fox News Sunday with host Shannon Bream, who asked Lee about whether Biden should continue to campaign and whether Vice President Kamala Harris is the right candidate to replace Biden.
“Large fundraising has slowed down. Major donors who had pledged huge six-figure, seven-figure checks have just disappeared, vanished off the face of the earth, retracted their pledges,” Lee said.
“It’s hard because a lot of these people are successful businessmen and they see the election as a business proposition, and they’ll only bet on it if it’s likely to be won. But I wish I had more good news, but I’m not here to give you talking points. This is the truth,” she added.
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Top Democratic fundraiser Lindy Lee said it’s becoming increasingly difficult to raise donations for President Biden’s reelection campaign, and calls for him to withdraw continue to grow. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Bream then asked about Harris and whether she was the best candidate to replace Biden if he were to withdraw.
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“It’s political malice to ignore Kamala Harris. This is it. It’s because of our base, especially our base of black Americans, that we were able to beat Trump,” Lee countered.
“It’s not my place to tell President Biden what to do, but if he does leave office, Vice President Kamala Harris would be a great candidate. She’s an excellent prosecutor and has been on the ground every day effectively prosecuting cases and building a case against a convicted felon, Trump,” she said.
Democrats are reportedly united around Kamala Harris as the best alternative to Biden. (Getty Images)
Biden and his staff have publicly vowed to stay in the race, but the 81-year-old Biden is now reported to be skeptical that Harris can win, according to The New York Times. Some polls have given Harris equal or better chances of winning than Biden. Biden’s performance against Trump Democratic lawmakers are increasingly calling on Biden to withdraw.
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Harris is the leading candidate to replace Biden because she would likely have access to the Biden-Harris coalition’s funds if Biden were to withdraw, while other candidates would face uncertainty about access to tens of millions of dollars donated during the campaign.
Harris is the leading candidate to replace Biden, given that she would likely have access to the Biden-Harris coalition’s funds if the president withdraws. (Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The White House denied the Times report in a statement to Fox News Digital and said Biden was focused on the campaign.
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“That allegation is false and The New York Times has not asked us about it. As Jen O’Malley Dillon said, he is ‘more engaged than ever,’ and as you’ve heard from the president, he looks forward to campaigning this week,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said.
