Jill Biden quietly fed lines into Joe Biden's ear, reminding him of a megadonor's name and saying to thank them, report says
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- Jill Biden whispered a donor's name in Joe Biden's ear and reminded him to thank them, per a report.
- New York Magazine's Intelligencer reported that Biden repeated the words his wife fed him.
- Biden has lost support among top Democratic donors, with some urging him to step aside.
Jill Biden quietly fed lines into President Joe Biden's ears, reminding him of a megadonor's name and telling him to thank them, New York Magazine's Intelligencer reported, citing an unnamed witness to the exchange.
According to the report, Biden stared blankly and nodded his head while greeting one Democratic megadonor and a family friend at the White House recently, when the First Lady stepped in.
The outlet didn't specify the donor's name or when the supposed exchange took place.
According to the witness, he then uttered the exact same words his wife had told him, according to the outlet.
"It hasn't been good for a long time, but it's gotten so, so much worse," the person told Intelligencer.
Since his disastrous debate performance last week, Biden has tried to reassure Democratic governors, House Democrats, staffers, voters, and donors that he is fit for reelection.
He and his campaign have blamed a cold, bad prep, and jet lag for his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27.
That performance featured a hoarse voice, meandering thoughts, verbal flubs, and vacant expressions.
During a huddle with key Democratic governors on Wednesday, the 81-year-old president said he just needs to get more sleep and stop holding events after 8 p.m., according to CNN and The New York Times.
But Biden is losing support among some Democratic donors, some of whom have publicly called on him to step aside.
Millionaire heiress Abigail Disney told CNBC on Thursday that she will stop donating to the Democratic Party "until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket."
"If Biden does not step down, the Democrats will lose. Of that, I am absolutely certain," she said, adding that the consequences of a loss will be "genuinely dire."
Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings, one of the largest Democratic donors, has also urged Biden to pull out of the race to give another candidate a shot at beating Trump, per The New York Times.
"Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous," Hastings said in an email to the Times.
In an X post over the weekend, investor Whitney Tilson, a longtime donor to Biden, said he is reconsidering his support after Biden's stumbling performance last week.
Despite mounting pressure to exit the race, Biden told staffers he was "not leaving" during a Wednesday call with his campaign and Democratic National Convention staff, Politico reported, citing anonymous staffers on the call.
ABC News also announced it would now air Biden's first television interview since last week's debate "in its entirety as a primetime special" on Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.