Ah, the Biden Presidential Library—a concept so riddled with irony it practically writes itself. Recent reports suggest that Joe Biden’s dreams of a sprawling library filled with his legacy (and probably a few misplaced classified documents) are in serious jeopardy. Why? Because Democrat donors, once the lifeblood of his political career, are now slamming their checkbooks shut. Turns out, pardoning your son in a sweeping act of political nepotism isn’t exactly donor catnip. Who knew?
According to Axios, top Democrat donors are livid over Biden’s “abrupt, clumsy pardon” of Hunter Biden, and they’re making their displeasure known by withholding funds for the library. Let’s be honest, though: if you’re trying to get the liberal donor class excited about your legacy, pardoning your scandal-plagued son probably isn’t step one in the handbook.
One insider bluntly told Axios, “If they had their s**t together, they would have been doing the work on this over the summer.” Translation: the Biden team has been caught flat-footed yet again. But then, is anyone really surprised? This is the same president who spent half his term “calling a lid” before noon and pretending his son’s international business escapades were above board.
Let’s entertain the thought of a Biden Presidential Library because the possibilities are both hilarious and tragic. Imagine walking through the entrance to find a shiny Corvette parked in the lobby, classified documents casually strewn across the back seat. Perhaps there’s an interactive sniffing exhibit or a “Nap Room” where visitors can experience what it’s like to “call a lid” at 11:00 a.m.
Journalist Mark Halperin joked with Jesse Watters that Biden’s library might resemble a bookmobile more than an actual institution. He’s not wrong. Raising funds for such an endeavor was always going to be a Herculean task for someone whose career has been defined by mediocrity and gaffes. Now, with donors angry and his political allies abandoning ship, the dream of a physical library might not make it past the conceptual stage.
Mark Halperin tells Jesse Watters that Joe Biden’s presidential library might end up looking more like a “bookmobile.”
“The donors are really annoyed” with him. pic.twitter.com/TnvzhXHIbd
— Rusty (@Rusty_Weiss) December 6, 2024
While the Hunter pardon is a major sticking point, Biden’s decision to run for reelection didn’t help matters. Democrat donors reportedly resent being forced to prop up a president whose cognitive decline has been glaringly obvious for years. Biden’s allies had to not only cover for his frequent missteps but also rig the nomination process to squash challengers like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dean Phillips. And what was their reward? Watching Biden limp to the finish line, dragging the party’s reputation and resources down with him.
Mark Halperin made a great point: the donors and officials now crying foul were complicit all along. They enabled Biden to run again, ignored his glaring weaknesses, and let his operatives rewrite the rules to keep Kamala Harris in place as heir apparent. Now they’re angry? Spare us. If these donors want someone to blame, they should start by looking in the mirror.
In July, Biden joked that he hadn’t decided on his library yet, quipping, “I don’t think I’m supposed to, while I’m president, think about the library.” Well, Joe, the way things are going, you might not need to worry about it at all. Without the money to build it, the idea of a Biden Presidential Library will remain as hollow as his promises—and as forgettable as his presidency.
Maybe the library doesn’t need a building. It could be a mobile exhibit: a broken-down Amtrak train carrying scattered Post-it Notes of his greatest gaffes. That would at least be fitting for the man who’s become a symbol of Democratic dysfunction.
