More than 100 donors and activists, including a handful who have given six-figure sums to President Biden, signed a letter arguing that progressive anger could help Donald Trump.
- Share full article
A letter sent to President Biden’s campaign this week argues that the war in Gaza is alienating progressive voters from Mr. Biden and fellow Democrats.
A group of more than 100 Democratic donors and activists on Monday sent a letter to President Biden’s campaign warning that progressive anger over Israel’s war in Gaza is “increasing the chances of a Trump victory.”
The signed letter is the latest sign of Democratic disgruntlement about Mr. Biden’s alignment with Israel’s government as it executes the war that began when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7.
Since then, more than 30,000 Palestinians have died at the hands of Israel, according to the Gaza health authorities. Anger over the fate of the Palestinians has roiled Democratic politics, with Mr. Biden tailed by protesters outside many of his public events calling for a cease-fire in the conflict and for an end to American military aid to Israel.
The letter’s signatories include a handful of donors who gave six-figure sums to Mr. Biden’s presidential campaigns in 2020 and 2024, though a preponderance of donors who signed the letter have given smaller amounts to candidates and causes more progressive than Mr. Biden, according to Federal Election Commission reports.
Among those listed are Paul Egerman, a finance co-chairman for Senator Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign; David and Elizabeth Steinglass, who between them gave $1.4 million to Democratic candidates and causes in 2020, including $100,000 to Mr. Biden’s campaign committees; Caroline Gabel, an environmentalist who has given $315,000 to Democrats and $51,000 to Mr. Biden’s campaign committees this election cycle; and George Krupp, who gave $1.2 million to Democrats in 2020 and has donated more than $600,000 to them during the 2024 election cycle.
[Read the letter to President Biden.]
Mr. Steinglass declined to comment. Mr. Egerman and Ms. Gabel did not respond to messages. Mr. Krupp, in an interview arranged by Mr. Biden’s campaign, said that while he was upset about Mr. Biden’s position on Israel, he still planned to co-host a fund-raiser for the president in September in Boston.
We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Source: nytimes.com
