Biden’s falling stardom: Hollywood turns on its president
By
Emily Hallas
July 6, 2024 4:38 pm
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While President Joe Biden has always enjoyed Hollywood‘s full embrace, the 81-year-old has seen a fallout from celebrities’ good graces after his incoherent debate performance.
Under three weeks ago, Biden proudly stood beside the likes of George Clooney, Barbara Streisand, and Julia Roberts as the stars headlined a glitzy fundraiser for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
The Los Angeles event, held at the Peacock Theater, generated $30 million for Biden and came before the president’s disastrous performance at the first debate. Even then, an incident caught the attention of critics who noted that former President Barack Obama was forced to gently lead his friend off the event stage after Biden awkwardly gaped at the audience.
While celebrities such as Roberts and Clooney might have overlooked the incident and an abundance of similar situations leading up to the fundraiser, the June 27 debate was the nail in the coffin for Biden’s relationship with many Hollywood stars.
From Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, who has made $20 million in donations to the Democratic Party, to Disney heiress Abigail Disney, Biden has lost the support of many Hollywood moguls in the nine days since the debate.
“Step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous,” Hastings urged Biden, according to the New York Times.
Meanwhile, Disney, a major Democratic donor, told the outlet she was withdrawing donations to Democrats “until they bite the bullet and replace Biden at the top of the ticket.”
The Disney heiress and Netflix titan are far from the only Democratic celebrity donors withdrawing their support from Biden.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/3072089/hollywood-turns-on-its-president/
