The debate was startling, compounded by President Joe Biden’s missteps in the weeks since. At the NATO Summit in Washington, he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “President Putin,” and later at a solo press conference referred to Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump.”
Now major Democratic donors are telling the pro-Biden super PAC, Future Forward, to withhold about $90 million in pledges so long as Biden is still on the ticket, The New York Times reported.
Biden anointed Future Forward as his campaign’s leading super PAC during the early stages of the 2024 race. Future forward announced that it has $250 million in television and digital advertising reservations that it plans to commence right after the Democratic National Convention next month.
Multiple of the frozen contributions include eight-figure commitments, according to two anonymous sources. An advisor at Future Forward added that they expected the contributors who had paused their donations to change their mind after the uncertainty about the ticket was resolved, according to the Times.
Throughout July, the Biden campaign has had to brace itself for a rough fundraising period, as major donors question Biden’s ability to win the 2024 election. At Thursday’s news conference, Biden remained adamant about his viability, telling reporters: “I believe I’m the best qualified to govern. And I think I’m the best qualified to win.”