Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman reacted to former President Donald Trump's landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, warning Democrats that incumbent President Joe Biden is toast.
The founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management posted on his X social media account on Tuesday, “In case you haven't noticed yet, @realDonaldTrump is trying to destroy @POTUS. That is already abundantly clear.”
Ackman, who has become much more vocal in public since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing outpouring of anti-Semitism on college campuses, told the 81-year-old Biden to “stand back.” ” he asked repeatedly. Democrats can “quickly endorse a strong, credible candidate” in the presidential race.
The self-proclaimed Democrat Clinton is backing Rep. Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Democrat who is mounting a long-term challenge to Biden.
Ackman and Biden have a history.In 2017, Biden called Ackman a “full of a-holes,” according to a recent article This was discovered by the news site Mediaite.
The two were guests at a dinner hosted by former Trump press secretary and hedge funder Anthony Scaramucci. According to Fox Business.
During the social gathering, Mr. Biden was asked by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush why he declined to run for president in 2016, and he told the assembled attendees that he was still in mourning over Mr. Biden's death. He said he had given up on running for the White House because of this. Their son Beau was born in 2015.
As the room fell silent, Biden apologized, saying, “I'm sorry…I've said enough.”
Ackman reportedly said: It has never stopped you before. ”
Biden then turned to someone nearby and asked, referring to Ackman. “Who is this terrible person?”
He then turned directly to Ackman and said: “Hey, I don't know who you are, wise guy, but never disrespect the memory of your dead son!”
When Ackman reportedly tried to apologize, Biden wouldn't listen, telling him to “shut up.”
Biden faces major challenges from Phillips and self-help author Marianne Williamson, who ran in 2020.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime Democrat, is running for president as an independent.
Despite Biden's age and concerns about his physical and mental strength, Democrats overwhelmingly support his re-election.
His campaign has a war chest of $117 million.
However, according to opinion polls, his approval rating hovers around 40%.
Polls also show Biden losing to Trump in potentially head-to-head matches.
Ackman, Phillips and X owner Elon Musk joined the streaming “Space” on Monday to discuss the 2024 election.
Ackman, who spearheaded the movement to expel Harvard University President Claudine Gay for anti-Semitism on the Ivy League campus, recently accused Democrats of “racist” diversity, equity and inclusion. He said he could no longer “associate” with the Democratic Party because of its pro-sexuality. He also vowed to sue Business Insider after the magazine claimed that the wife of a former MIT professor had plagiarized the book.
On Saturday, Mr. Ackman announced on his X account that he would donate $1 million to a political action committee supporting Mr. Phillips.
He called Phillips “very smart, very experienced, and successful in business and politics,” but added, “He is a moderate, which makes him attractive to both Republicans and Democrats.” did.
“The Democratic Party and Joe Biden are headed for disaster,” Ackman wrote.
“We have to get the train off the tracks now!”
The billionaire predicted that Phillips would beat Biden in the primary.
“With Dean rising in the polls and Biden deteriorating, Democrats will have to choose a candidate who can beat the Republican nominee,” Ackman wrote on his X account over the weekend.
The newspaper has contacted Biden's re-election campaign for comment.
