It appears as though President Joe Biden has lost another supporter in the form of Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings following last week’s debate debacle.
The Democratic mega-donor spoke out against November’s presumptive nominee on Wednesday despite having donated a reported $20+ million to the Party in recent years with his wife Patty Quillin, mostly through Super PACs.
“Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous,” Netflix’s executive chairman told the New York Times.
Hastings’ comment echoes similar sentiments shared by many Americans, regardless of party affiliation. In fact, major publications have even used their editorial boards to call on Biden to drop out of the 2024 election against Donald Trump.
Biden’s public persona troubles did not begin last Thursday, but they were exacerbated by a dismal debate performance that included a scratchy throat, a wandering mind and plenty of trailed off sentences. While he appeared to bounce back at a rally a day later, the damage was already done.
“I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to,” Biden told supporters Friday at a Raleigh, N.C., hanger. “But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth; I know right from wrong; and I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.”
With that said, other notable political public figures like Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and “The View” host Ana Navarro have defended him post-debate.
“Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit,” Obama wrote on X Friday. “Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”
“The president is clear-eyed and he is staying in the race,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t have anything else beyond that. He is staying, he’s staying in the race.”
Whether Biden eventually drops out of the 2024 presidential race or not, he is currently scheduled to face off against Trump in their second debate on Sept. 10. Up next, he will be giving his first TV interview since Thursday with George Stephanopoulos for ABC News to air this weekend.
