LONDON, July 5. /TASS/. Top donors of the US Democratic Party see Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom as their preferred candidates to replace incumbent President Joe Biden in the current White House race, the Financial Times writes, citing sources.
"Biden’s candidacy is doomed," said a donor close to the president, adding: "I’m Joe’s biggest fan, he’s an admirable public servant but he’s doomed… We need to start putting all our focus on what comes next."
The paper notes that "Whitmer appears to have more support among donors, with several people saying she would have a stronger chance of beating [Donald] Trump in swing states such as Michigan."
According to the Financial Times, some donors are reluctant to support the Democratic Party until Biden withdraws from the race. "Abigail Disney, the heiress of the media giant, said she would stop making contributions to the Democratic party until Biden steps aside," the paper writes. Ari Emanuel, CEO of the entertainment and media agency Endeavour, said that "the lifeblood to a campaign is money, and maybe the only way (to speed up Biden’s exit - TASS) ·is if the money starts drying up."
Both Whitmer and Newsom earlier reiterated their backing for Biden’s re-election.
On June 27, Atlanta, Georgia, hosted the first US presidential debate between an incumbent and a former president, Joe Biden and Donald Trump. According to CNN, Biden’s debate performance caused panic among Democrats, while NBC News said that Democrats "committed collective suicide."
The US will hold its presidential election on November 5. Trump has already secured the Republican presidential nomination. Incumbent President Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term in office, has won enough delegates to get the Democratic nomination.