Democratic donors ‘appalled by Biden’s use of cheat sheet’

President Joe Biden has long brandished notecards at the White House and in sit-downs with world leaders, but now donors are throwing a flag at his use of the cheat sheets even in closed-door private events. Biden has already broken with the traditional expectation that donors who write big checks to his campaign are entitled to a more off-the-cuff version of the president during closed-door fundraisers.

The president has repeatedly relied on a teleprompter in these settings, sometimes giving versions of his public speeches in well-decorated homes, as he did during a fundraising swing through California this week. (Press cameras are usually not present though). These candid exchanges are one of the reasons donors are plunking down as much as $3,300 and flocking to events to get a moment with the president.

Some donors scoff at the president’s use of note cards, even during question-and-answer sessions, like the White House after the more staged remarks, where Biden allows a press pool to be present. That has “growing concerns among some donors about Biden’s age,” Axios reported, leaving some donors “wondering whether Biden can withstand the rigors of a presidential campaign.”

Past presidents have relied on bills, and Biden’s use of special note cards dates back to his time as vice president and senator, even featuring in a report by special counsel Robert Hur, who described Biden as an ‘elderly man’ who struggled to remember important details from his life.

Despite the shudder, Biden may be laughing all the way to the bank: he ended the month with $130 million in cash in campaign accounts, giving him an opportunity to try to beat rival Donald Trump on TV.

The parts of Biden’s fundraisers often hit the same message that Biden drives home publicly, sometimes sprinkled with low-key jokes. Occasionally, Biden goes off the cuff and makes news in the less formal setting.

“You know, we’ve made it clear from day one of our administration that we believe in science that the other guy isn’t quite sure exists,” Biden said at a Los Altos fundraiser Thursday, earning laughs. “But, you know, think if he had moved on the pandemic earlier, how many people — how many chairs wouldn’t be empty at kitchen tables these days.”

He joked at the top of a big fundraiser in San Francisco: ‘For the longest time after being elected, I heard “Hail to the Chief” playing and I turned around and wondered: Where the hell was he?’

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