Reed Hastings, the Netflix co-founder who has become one of the Democratic Party’s biggest donors in recent years, called on President Biden on Wednesday to give up his spot at the front of the Democratic presidential nomination.
Mr. Hastings was one of the first to say publicly what many major Democratic donors say privately. “Biden must resign so that an energetic Democratic leader can defeat Trump and ensure our security and prosperity,” he said in an email to The Times.
Mr Biden and White House officials have said he has no plans to resign. But Mr. Hastings’ public comments represent a further crack in the president’s support base.
Mr. Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, were among the Democratic Party’s most generous donor couples during the Trump era. Together they have donated more than $20 million to support the party in recent years, including up to $1.5 million to support Mr. Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign and $100,000 last summer to support Mr. Biden in 2024. Most of those donations went to super PACs designed to help Democrats in the House and Senate.
Some Hollywood executives, who toasted Mr. Biden at a spectacular fundraiser just last month, are beginning to make their concerns public. On Tuesday, power agent Ari Emanuel expressed his own frustration.
The political issue with which Mr. Hastings has long been closely associated is education reform, while Ms. Quillin has a particular focus on racial justice. Mr. Hastings has recently had a close relationship with Gov. Gavin Newsom of California – one of the people being discussed as a possible replacement for Mr. Biden – and donated $3 million in 2021 to help Mr. Newsom get the Defeat recall election faced.
Mr. Hastings helped found Netflix nearly three decades ago and is now its chief executive. In January 2023, he partially relinquished the position of CEO to devote more time to his philanthropy, politics and his true passion, skiing.
Rebecca Davis O’Brien contributed reporting.
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2024-07-03 21:25:06
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