US President Joe Biden has made another embarrassing gaffe by referring to himself as a “black woman” as donors call for him to step aside ahead of a crucial television interview on Friday.
The 81-year-old presumptive Democratic nominee in the presidential election race is facing mounting pressure to step down over doubts about his mental fitness for the role.
Criticism from Republicans had already been widespread, but his poor performance in last week’s television debate with rival Donald Trump, in which he appeared confused and faltering, has alarmed Democrats and led to mounting calls for him to consider his position, with some touting Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative candidate.
Mr Biden is due to hold a rally in battleground state Wisconsin on Friday, before sitting down for a TV interview with the ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, which will air in the US in the evening. On Sunday, he will appear at a campaign event in Philadelphia. His appearances will be closely scrutinised.
It comes after he made a fresh gaffe on Thursday, mixing up his words as he tried to demonstrate his pride in working with Ms Harris and former President Barack Obama while speaking to WURD radio in Philadelphia.
“By the way, I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman… to serve with a black president,” he said.
“Proud to be involved with the first black woman on the Supreme Court,” he added, in reference to Ketanji Brown-Jackson, who became the first female black justice when he appointed her. There’s so much that we can do because, look… we’re the United States of America.”
Campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa insisted: “It was clear what President Biden meant when he was talking about his historic record including a record number of appointments to the federal bench. This is not news and the media has passed the point of absurdity here.”
On Thursday, Mr Biden appeared at a White House to host military families at a 4th July event and said he was “not going anywhere”. He also began to tell a story, referring to Trump as “one of our colleagues, the former president” before adding, “probably shouldn’t say, at any rate” and abruptly ending the story.
He also tripped up earlier in the interview when he claimed he had been the first president elected statewide in Delaware. He appeared to mean that he was the first Catholic in Delaware to be elected statewide.
Elected Democrats, including Ms Harris, have largely rallied behind the President yet an increasing number of donors are voicing doubts.
On Thursday, Abigail Disney – granddaughter of Roy Disney, heir to the Disney fortune and a major party donor – said she would suspend donations and suggested Ms Harris as an alternative.
“I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect,” she told CNBC. “If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.
“We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Biden’s (and let’s not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot,” Ms Disney said.
Gideon Stein, a donor and president of the Moriah fund private foundation, said he would pause $3.5m (£2.74m) in planned donations to nonprofits and political organisations active in the presidential race unless Mr Biden stepped aside.
“Virtually every major donor I’ve talked to believes that we need a new candidate in order to defeat Donald Trump,” he said.
Damon Lindelof, a Hollywood producer who has donated more than $115,000 to Democrats, called for donors to put away their chequebooks until Mr Biden steps down.
“When they text you asking for cash, text back that you’re not giving them a penny and you won’t change your mind until there’s change at the top of the ticket. And when Joe finally leaves the mound, I will stand and applaud. Because he truly pitched a great game,” he said.
Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and one of the biggest donors to the Democrats, called on Wednesday for Mr Biden to “step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous”.
The New York Times reports that a group of donors and strategists are working to raise $100m for a “Next Generation PAC” (political action committee) to support a replacement candidate, and that supporters are calling on elected officials at all levels to pressure the President to quit the race.
If re-elected, Mr Biden would be 86 at the end of the second term. So far he has vowed to fight on and the White House has blamed jet lag and a cold for his shaky performance.
Several public opinion polls have shown Trump widening his narrow lead over the Democratic President since the debate, while a Reuters/Ipsos poll found one in three Democrats want Mr Biden to quit the race.