Biden is struggling to attract democratic donors for the presidential library

The new effort of former President Joe Biden to collect funds for a presidential library is struggling to attract democratic donors, according to a report.

More than half a dozen people who were once donors or fundraising from Biden spoke to NBC News. Most said that they had no animosity towards the former president, but they would not give the library or would only give a limited amount.

Donors have stressed several factors, notably by not wanting to make a target of the Trump administration and reserving their money for the future of the Democratic Party. Some of them said they had personal interactions with the inner circle of Biden who were so unpleasant that they thought it would be difficult to collect important funds for the former president.

“I would like him to have a beautiful library,” said a donor to NBC News. “I don’t see that I will spend my money.”

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The new effort of former president Joe Biden to collect funds for a presidential library has trouble attracting democratic donors. (Win McNamee / Getty images)

Another donor said “no way” when asked by the point of sale to give to the library.

Biden also faces the residual frustration on the part of the party on his decision to re -elect at the start despite the health problems that finally led him to abandon the race last summer after his very examined mental acuity was exposed during a presidential debate against Donald Trump. Former vice-president Kamala Harris then quickly obtained the party’s appointment before losing against Trump in November.

“I want a reimbursement of $ 800,000,” said lawyer for bodily injuries John Morgan, in NBC News, referring to the money he said that he had collected for Biden who went to Harris last year.

“I do not believe that a library will never be built unless it is a sign of the old weather,” joked Morgan.

Susie Buell, a major donor of the party, told the point of sale that no one had asked for her donation but that she was “not inclined to give to the libraries”.

The President of the Library Council, Rufus Gifford, who led fundraising for the Biden re -election campaign and was a financial director of former president Barack Obama, expressed his optimism that donors will want to contribute.

A donor said “no way” when he was asked to give the library. (AP / Evan Vucci)

“Those of us who have existed for some time and like the guy but who also understand the full image want to see what we can do to protect and promote his heritage,” Gifford told NBC News. “This is not the past. This is the future.”

A person familiar with team Biden’s plans said the project was aimed at between $ 200 and $ 300 million.

In comparison, the presidential library of Obama is expected to open its doors in Chicago in the spring cost $ 850 million. President Donald Trump has also collected millions of dollars for a future library, and the luxury jet offered to the United States government by the Royal Qatari family will later be transferred to a Trump library foundation – both were examined by the Democrats.

“It is in my opinion that no important building is built,” said Morgan, adding that the age and medical problems of Biden may mean that the former president may not be very useful to collect funds for the library.

“Combine this with the perception that the misfortunes (the parties) rest with its decision to request a second term, and we have the Hindenburg which heads directly to us.”

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The project is looking for between $ 200 and $ 300 million. (AP photo / Mark Schiefelbein)

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Donors have often complained about a lack of access to Biden when he was in power, saying that they were asked to write checks, but could not make a telephone call.

People who frequently interact with the main democratic donors say that other potential obstacles include the threat of becoming a Trump target.

“This is a very difficult period to make important checks for Democrats because of the vindictive Donald Trump,” said the president of the fundraising of the National Democratic Committee, Chris Korge, to NBC News, citing conversations with donors.

Korge also said that he had personally called Biden and his team to focus on fundraising for a library and put the plans aside for a second term.