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Biden asks donors to stick with him after disastrous debate

Amanda Gordon, Skylar Woodhouse and Jennifer Jacobs, Bloomberg News on

Published in Political News

President Joe Biden told deep-pocketed donors in New York’s Hamptons that he acknowledges worries about his debate performance against Donald Trump, and he vowed to stick with his reelection bid.

“I understand the concern about the debate,” Biden said Saturday at the oceanfront Hamptons estate of hedge fund manager Barry Rosenstein and his wife, Lizanne, who hosted him at a fundraiser. “I get it. I didn’t have a great night.”

With about 150 people in attendance, Biden repeated that he wouldn’t be running “if I didn’t believe I could win” as he seeks to rebuild momentum after the debate debacle on Thursday, which has spread alarm among Democrats. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, hosted a reception for Biden later Saturday.

Democratic donors, lawmakers and strategists were rattled by Biden’s debate performance, with some urging the president to consider stepping aside. After Biden said Friday he has no plans to do so, the fundraisers are a chance to reassure supporters that he’s capable of serving another four years in the White House.

Biden’s debate performance also risks diminishing his fundraising ability as Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, gains ground. Biden’s campaign downplayed those concerns, saying it raised $27 million between the debate day and Friday evening.

On the guest list for the East Hampton event — with the cost of entry topping out at $250,000 — were Goldman Sachs Group Inc. alumni Eric Mindich and Nicole Davison Fox as well as actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Loews Corp. co-chairman Jon Tisch, Tiger 21 founder Michael Sonnenfeldt and film and television producer Darren Star. Also attending was Skybridge Capital managing partner and founder Anthony Scaramucci.

 

A bundler working on the event, who wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly, said the campaign wasn’t aware of any donors pulling out.

“The Biden I saw today was different from the debate,” said investor and venture capitalist Alan Patricof, 89, who attended the East Hampton event. “My only feeling is that we’re left with a choice” between Trump and Biden, who’s a “not perfect person but someone who will at least represent this country honorably,” he said.

With Biden exuding defiance, several people outside the Hamptons venue held up signs urging him to drop out, even while expressing sympathy.

Paul McIsaac, 84, a self-described political independent, urged Biden to step aside for “the higher priority of the country,” saying he should “take this moment to be a world historic figure, go against all his political instincts and do the really morally and tactically smart thing to do.”

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