Hollywood’s Democratic donors are distancing themselves from Biden.

Hollywood has always been a significant source of funding for the Democratic Party. However, concerns over US President Joe Biden’s candidacy have not diminished, even after a lengthy news conference on Thursday where he asserted he had no plans to step aside despite mounting pressure from within his own party. Worries about his age have led some loyal A-list donors in one of the most liberal areas of the US to withdraw their support for Mr. Biden, with several publicly calling for his replacement.

Even before George Clooney, a prominent Democratic fundraiser, wrote a critical opinion piece urging Mr. Biden to step aside as the party’s candidate, novelist and screenwriter Ayelet Waldman had ceased her donations to liberal candidates in protest. “I’ve always donated more than I can afford,” she told the BBC. “But this is the first time I have ever decided to stop donating as a means of expressing my – absolute, gut-wrenching panic.”

Ms. Waldman was influenced by screenwriter Damon Lindelof, who, on July 3, penned a guest column in the industry publication Deadline, encouraging Democrats to “stop giving money” to all candidates until President Biden exits the race. “Is it misguided to punish the entire team for the stubbornness of the pitcher? Maybe,” Mr. Lindelof wrote. “But it’s also common sense that if he stays in, they will also lose. A rising tide lifts all boats. A falling Biden sinks them.”

Social media has been inundated with similar sentiments from the likes of Abigail Disney, John Cusack, Stephen King, Rob Reiner, and more. This chorus of voices from the film industry signals a worsening situation for the president, who is also facing pressure from a growing number of Democratic lawmakers urging him to drop out of the race. Hollywood’s A-listers may be dismissed as “elites” by some Republicans, but they are reliable Democratic donors who wield significant influence in reaching voters across various demographics and ages.

“My friend George Clooney has clearly expressed what many of us have been saying,” Reiner, an actor, filmmaker, and prominent liberal, wrote on X. “Democracy is facing an existential threat. We need someone younger to fight back. Joe Biden must step aside.”