In Push to Change Biden’s Mind, Donor Writes His Withdrawal Speech

A top West Coast Democratic donor has reportedly drafted and begun circulating a seven-step swan song for President Joe Biden.

The “victory speech,” which was obtained Thursday by The Daily Beast, contains seven bullet points for Biden to use, should he decide to withdraw from the presidential race.

The main points of the speech emphasize the importance of saving America and democracy, and insist that to do that, the Democrats must win. But for that to happen, Democrats need to reclaim the confidence of the American people.

The speech would maintain Biden’s position that he thinks he could still succeed in beating Trump in November, but concede that Americans desire a candidate who is younger than Biden or Trump. Biden would declare that for that reason, he has decided to leave the ticket and pass the torch to the next generation.

The speech would also have Biden pledge his support for a cease-fire in Gaza and promise to back the Democratic candidate. Notably, the speech does not have him hand over his candidacy to a specific politician, such as Vice President Kamala Harris. It also gently sidesteps the widespread criticisms of Biden’s disastrous debate performance and questions about his mental acuity.

Biden has been faced with calls from top Democrats to reconsider his candidacy in the race against Donald Trump, as well as frozen funds from several major donors who have decided to pause their six-figure contributions until Biden chooses to step down from the ticket.

While Biden has made no indication that he intends to withdraw, it’s been reported that he has grown “more receptive” to criticisms and is doing some serious “soul searching” about his candidacy.

In the past 36 hours alone, several sources have leaked that the president has had some tough conversations with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who have all urged him to reconsider his candidacy for the sake of the Democratic Party. Former President Barack Obama reportedly told his allies that he feels similarly. Meanwhile, Representatives Adam Schiff and Jamie Raskin have both publicly called for Biden to take his leave from the presidential race.

The pressure is mounting against the presumptive Democratic nominee, a title that, for now, should be regularly followed with a question mark.

Another top Democrat has called on President Joe Biden to exit the presidential race, marking the fourth instance this week that news has broken of a top lawmaker suggesting it’s the 81-year-old president’s time to bow out.

In a four-page letter sent earlier this month, Representative Jamie Raskin largely waxed poetic about Biden’s myriad accomplishments in office. But the Maryland Democrat then turned to an all-American metaphor to translate his waning competence: a tired baseball pitcher, too many innings into the game.

“There is no shame in taking a well-deserved bow to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd when your arm is tired out, and there is real danger for the team in ignoring the statistics,” Raskin wrote, likening Biden’s insistence on staying in the race to the 2003 American League Championship Series, in which Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez refused to get off the mound despite his manager’s insistence eight innings in. That decision to stay and keep throwing, despite the statistical disadvantage, cost the Red Sox the game and a spot in the World Series.

“Your situation is tricky because you are both our star pitcher and our Manager,” Raskin wrote in the letter, which was obtained Thursday by The New York Times.

“But in democracy, as you have shown us more than any prior president, you are not a Manager acting all alone; you are the co-Manager along with our great team and our great people,” he continued. “Caucus with the team, Mr. President. Hear them out. You will make the right decision.”

Behind closed doors, several other major Democrats also urged the president to hit the bench this week, including a double-whammy of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of whom reportedly made direct appeals to Biden to drop out for the good of the party. Elsewhere in the liberal ecosphere, news broke that former President Barack Obama had spoken with allies about Biden’s narrowing chances at winning the White House for a second term, and believed now was the time to act to protect Biden and his legacy.

Let me tell you something, brother: For some reason, one of the scheduled speakers for the Republican National Convention Thursday night is retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.

Hogan doesn’t have a long history of political activism, unless you count his “run” for president as a publicity stunt two decades ago, making his appearance all the more puzzling. His peak days of being the top star in the wrestling world and starring in B and C movies are well behind him.

It’s only recently that Mr. America managed to overcome the 2015 scandal of uttering a racial slur in a leaked sex tape that resurfaced, after which he returned to making appearances in the pro wrestling world. The fallout from that tape might have gotten him into right-wing politics too.

Also in 2015, Hogan would sue Gawker Media, the company behind the publication of that video, with tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a conservative with a vendetta against Gawker for outing him in 2007, funding the lawsuit. Hogan would win the suit and be awarded $115 million, bankrupting Gawker.

Last month, Hogan appeared on Fox and Friends and said, “If you need a president or vice president, I’ll volunteer and take this country over, and I’ll rule with an iron fist.” Since Senator J.D. Vance has since been named the Republican vice presidential nominee (also with Thiel’s support), it looks like Trump wasn’t looking for Hogan’s version of an iron fist or even his signature leg drop on the ticket.

But maybe that’s what Republicans are looking for on the last night of the RNC: a celebrity has-been wrapped in the flag, with allegations of racism in his past, whose career includes an infamous heel turn to give the convention some social media attention. Doesn’t that describe Donald Trump in 2016 too? Just like the Hulkster, Trump even has ties to pro wrestling. And like any MAGA Republican, the two call themselves “real Americans” but refuse to fight for the rights of every man.

Kevin McCarthy is not wishing Matt Gaetz well.

“He looks very unhinged,” the former speaker said Thursday about Gaetz’s appearance at the Republican National Convention. “A lot of people have concerns about him.”

McCarthy wasn’t the only Republican looking to tear Gaetz down. Representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin called Matt Gaetz an “AI powered inflatable sex doll” while tweeting out a photo of Gaetz speaking at the convention. 

Though it does certainly look like Gaetz got his face retouched, McCarthy threw out the idea that Gaetz is unwell in some way. “I’m not sure if he was on something. But I do hope that he gets the help that he needs.”

McCarthy’s concern about Gaetz’s appearance and demeanor didn’t come out of nowhere but is a sign of the escalating feud between the two.

In the CNN interview Thursday, McCarthy accused Gaetz of “wanting to leverage” McCarthy’s fight to remain House speaker in order to stop the Ethics Committee investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.

McCarthy said that after he refused, Gaetz sought revenge. “That’s what the whole motion to vacate was about.” This is a theory McCarthy has floated before. 

Gaetz is accused of having sex with a teenage girl while he was serving in Congress, and the House Ethics Committee announced last month that it is expanding its investigation against the Florida representative.

“I hope the young women get the justice they deserve when it comes to him,” said McCarthy.

Elon Musk recently came out with a public endorsement of Donald Trump for president, but Republicans haven’t fully embraced him, according to a report from The New York Times.

The tech billionaire CEO of Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX has been highly sought after by GOP fundraisers and Trump associates for years, who see him both as a meal ticket and a potential inspiration for the party. But Musk doesn’t have a solid record for political involvement.

For example, he has promised to spend money on “free speech” lawsuits to support conservatives who claim that they are the victims of social media censorship but hasn’t followed through. Musk has also been a no-show at public appearances, such as a 2023 event to support Kevin McCarthy, then the newly elected speaker of the House. In San Francisco, he promised to donate $100,000 to the centrist group GrowSF to defeat progressives, but again didn’t follow through.

“Some conservative activists said they wished that Mr. Musk had followed through more on promises,” the Times reported.

Musk’s public endorsement of Trump only came after a gunman tried to assassinate the former president and convicted felon on Saturday. Previously, the tech magnate, while privately urging friends not to vote for Biden, was waiting until the president had secured the Democratic nomination, according to the Times.

Musk’s confidants in the tech world, such as Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of data analytics firm Palantir, reportedly discuss politics with him and have urged him to play a more active role. Lonsdale founded AmericaPAC to help Trump return to the White House, with Musk reportedly pledging a monthly donation of $45 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. Musk denied the report, leaving those involved with the PAC to wonder how much he plans to donate, or if he will at all.

Alongside fellow tech CEOs Peter Thiel and David Sacks, Musk is a member of the “PayPal mafia,” the group of early supporters and founders of the payment service. All three have embraced conservative ideas and supported J.D. Vance as Trump’s running mate, with Musk and Sacks openly lobbying Trump on behalf of the Ohio senator. If Trump wins in November, the trio will have an administration friendly to their whims and those of Silicon Valley’s right wing.