Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Democrats have been in a state of panic since Joe Biden's awful debate performance late last month, and now celebrities are joining the chorus. Heading into the June 27 showdown, the octogenarian president had managed to maintain control of his party despite trailing just a hair behind his rival, former president and recently convicted Donald Trump, in approval ratings and opinion polls. But after his debate performance, Biden has effectively lost control of a sizable chunk of the Democratic Party: Hollywood. Here are the latest celebrities who have reacted to Biden's dilemma and joined the calls for him to step aside.
Overall, Biden's performance at the June 27 debate was marked by confused silences, a hoarse voice weakened by a cold, moments when he seemed to forget he was on a primetime stage, and low energy levels. In one topical moment, the commander in chief struggled to name Medicare when answering a question about taxing the wealthy. “We have 1,000 trillionaires, I mean billionaires, in America. So what's happening? They're actually in a situation where they're paying 8.2% in taxes. If they paid 24%, 25%, whatever number, I should say $500 million, I should say $1 billion, over 10 years,” he said, describing a tax system that could fully fund child care and other needs. At the time, he couldn't name the landmark senior health insurance program. “Sorry, dealing with all the stuff we have to do…” Biden said, pausing again before recalling the program. “Look, if we end up getting rid of Medicare,” he said, which makes it sound like Democrats are anti-Medicare, which is the exact opposite of their position.
Naturally, in the run-up to the Fourth of July weekend, calls for a Biden successor, freed from the baggage of the past and trying to imagine what could come next for the Democratic Party, have grown rapidly. This should be exciting for the KHive.
Amid the chaos, Biden penned an open letter to House Democrats, essentially telling them to disbelieve the rumors and support his reelection effort. “As we return from our Fourth of July recess, I want you to know that despite media and other speculation, I remain in this race, fighting to the end, and remaining determined to defeat Donald Trump,” he wrote on July 8. Biden believed he was the best person to defeat the scheming disruptor, telling his party members, “It's time to come together.”
He rejected the idea that an alternative candidate would not stand a chance. Biden defiantly attacked the candidates he defeated in the primaries, calling them all but losers. “This was a process open to all who wanted to run,” he reminded us. “Only three people chose to challenge me. One did so badly that he abandoned the primary and ran as an independent. The other attacked me for being too old and lost miserably. Democratic voters voted for me. They elected me their nominee.” Elsewhere in the letter, Biden clarified his policies that were hard to convey in the debates, celebrating his victories during his time in office, including low unemployment, an infrastructure bill and investments in climate change.
King, a longtime Democrat and horror author, believes Biden needs to step aside for the good of the country. “Joe Biden has been a great President, but for the good of the America he so clearly loves, the time has come for him to announce that he will not run for re-election,” King tweeted on July 8.
of Harry and Sally “Stop kidding around,” former Vice President Joe Biden said on July 7. “If a convicted felon wins, we will lose our democracy,” he tweeted. “Joe Biden has served America with honor, decency and dignity. It's time for Joe Biden to leave office.”
Brat Packer and Say anything Actor Cusack agreed with Reiner: “No one supports Biden's domestic policies more than Rob. He's right,” Cusack tweeted on July 7.
Write an essay on a deadline, lost The author called for a boycott of donations to the Democratic Party until it comes together, a call echoed by Walt Disney's great-niece and mega-donor Abigail Disney. “I'm a lifelong Democrat and I love our complicated and wonderful country,” he wrote in a July 3 op-ed. “I'm not writing this anonymously because I'm asking others in positions of influence to do the same. I don't know if what I say will make sense, but I know what my eyes and ears and heart are telling me. I've been asleep at the wheel, but it's time to wake up.” He extended the party with a baseball metaphor, writing that Biden would be handed the ball if the party walked onto the field. In the meantime, he has a plan. “I propose DEMbargo. I won't write a check, I won't click an ActBlue link. For anyone.”
