Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was overheard saying, “I don’t like where we are,” when reportedly questioned about President Biden’s prospects in November. It was not immediately clear what Pritzker was referring to, but his deputy chief of communications told reporters it “sounds like” he was addressing the Presidential race.
Pritzker is the latest high-profile Democrat to apparently express concerns about Biden’s ability to see out a second White House term. The President’s performance against Donald Trump in the first Presidential debate in Atlanta was largely seen as disastrous, and several Democrats and celebrity backers have since urged Biden to step down in favor of a new candidate.
Meanwhile, organizers have decided to scrap a fundraising event for the President in the Windy City, citing disagreements over how to proceed. Plans for the event, which was due to take place in August, were paused after the debate, with organizers saying they would resume after the Fourth of July. However, the erosion of support for Joe Biden reportedly informed the final decision not to proceed.
A spokesperson for Biden said the Chicago fundraiser was not part of the President’s campaigning schedule, while others in the Democrat party played down the cancelation’s significance, saying it would have raised less than a million dollars.
Biden critics, however, suggest that the event might have revealed rapidly decreasing support for the President as other donors publicly withdrew their funding.
For instance, Hollywood screenwriter and producer Damon Lindelof has urged fellow contributors to revoke funding until Democrats put forward an alternative candidate. Lindelof described Biden as “an excellent President” and said he is saddened that the Democratic Party has not facilitated a “thoughtful and considerate” debate about its future. The film producer also pointed out that tens of millions of Americans share his concerns.
Maggie Kulyk, a Democratic donor, agreed with Lindelof’s assessment and stated that she speaks with fellow Democrats daily, and they have been “deeply concerned” about Joe Biden for some time.
