Joe Biden Donor Demands His Advisers Be 'Banished' Over Debate

John Morgan, one of Joe Biden's top donors, has demanded that Anita Dunn, a White House senior adviser, and her husband Bob Bauer, Biden's personal attorney, be "banished from Biden world."

Morgan, who founded the law firm Morgan and Morgan, took to X, formerly Twitter to voice his concerns over the weekend. "These two grifters have grifted long enough," he wrote. "She negotiated the format which was tailor made for Trump... made him seem sane..."

Morgan blamed Biden's hoarse voice and unfocused answers on poor preparation from Bauer, who role-played as Donald Trump during debate rehearsals, per media outlets. The donor said Bauer practiced with Biden for a week. "No wonder he was [hoarse], fatigued, exhausted... and filled with too many facts," he wrote.

He said that the forum had been more beneficial to Trump.

"My worry is [Biden] was overwhelmed with facts and figures and was simply exhausted," Morgan told Newsweek. "His voice was spent by debate time. I have wondered if anyone went to the debate site to check lighting and TV monitors because he was as pale as a ghost. The next day in North Carolina he was vibrant, tan and engaging."

"My worry is there are too many chefs and not enough cooks in the kitchen," he said. "This team has never been able to convince Americans that probably the most consequential presidency since FDR has benefited them in significant ways.

"When sports teams keep losing…you replace the coaches. But the president is loyal and may be reluctant. Like many I am very worried about our country…the stakes could not be higher."

Morgan told The New York Times: "It would be like if you took a prizefighter who was going to have a title fight and put him in a sauna for 15 hours then said, 'Go fight.' I believe that the debate is solely on Ron Klain, Bob Bauer and Anita Dunn."

Morgan expressed his continued support for the president despite his concerns.

Newsweek contacted Biden's campaign for comment on Monday.

According to news reports, Klain, Biden's former White House chief of staff, was also involved in preparations for Thursday's presidential debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Georgia.

Biden's performance against Trump was widely criticized with early polls and gambling odds suggesting that it damaged his chances of winning the election in November. It has led to calls from some Democrats suggesting that he step down as the party's nominee.

Over the weekend, Biden met with his family at Camp David to discuss the situation. According to The New York Times, his family urged him to stay in the race and keep fighting.

The New York Times reported, citing an anonymous source, that at Camp David, neither the president nor the first lady was personally critical of Klain, Dunn, or Bauer.

In the days since the debate, the advisers in question have publicly stated that Biden's campaign will continue. Klain told the Times that the president would not drop out, stating that Biden enjoyed the support of grassroots donors. Dunn told MSNBC on Sunday that Biden was the only person who could beat Trump.

The logistical difficulties of replacing Biden were raised during a tense call on Sunday between Biden's campaign manager and about 40 top financial backers. An unnamed Democratic donor told NBC that some donors on the call asked about having their contributions refunded. Morgan told Newsweek that he never attended donor meetings and that he would not be seeking his money back, writing "I am with the president until the end."

Update 07/02/2024, 03:30 a.m. ET: This story has been updated to include comment from John Morgan.