Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a hastily scheduled address to Democratic donors on a conference call Friday afternoon, according to reports, as Democratic leaders call for President Biden to step down.
The exact purpose of the call is unclear, but Harris, 59, has publicly supported Biden and other Democrats have said she is the most likely candidate to replace Biden if he withdraws before the Nov. 5 election.
The call was driven by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a major donor to the Democratic Party, who also urged other Silicon Valley bigwigs to get involved. The New York Times reports.
“We continue to find ourselves in a rapidly changing environment,” Hoffman reportedly wrote in the invitation.
“The stakes are so high in this election, and we must remain focused on the important work we need to do to protect our democracy.”
Hoffman said the call will “discuss urgent and emerging needs” and participants will “also hear from leaders who are working with their constituents on the front lines.”
The incumbent Trump is facing an all-out rebellion from fellow Democratic leaders after his disastrous performance in the June 27 debate.
Reports this week said former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have privately expressed concern that Biden will not win, and lower-ranking Democrats worry that a Biden loss would be a damn for them, too.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-chair of Biden’s campaign and co-founder of the film studio DreamWorks, reportedly warned the president on Wednesday that donations were drying up amid growing calls from Democratic lawmakers for Biden to end his bid for a second term.
