Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser who has since switched her party affiliation, alleges that Vice President Kamala Harris engaged in strategic maneuvering with top donors shortly before President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. Li claims Harris assured donors of Biden's viability while simultaneously positioning herself as a potential successor.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Li described Harris's actions as a "charade," stating, "She was auditioning for Biden’s endorsement, and the way that she did it was by imposing a fake rule on her staff to not talk about her ascending to the nomination."
Li's account, detailed in her book "Unburdened," suggests that many within the Democratic Party recognized Biden's declining prospects after his debate performance, even before his eventual suspension of his campaign. As a prominent fundraiser for both Biden and Harris, and with a significant profile within the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Li reported working closely with both campaigns.
Li asserts that Harris prioritized engagement with donors she believed would soon support her own presidential ambitions. "I was on the call; she would host calls with donors and pretend to support Biden and say there’s no daylight between Biden and herself. All the while she was auditioning for those very donors," Li said.
She recalled a specific instance where Harris spoke with donors about Biden's candidacy just two days before his withdrawal announcement on July 21, 2024. Li stated, "Actually, I think it was July 19, 2024; Kamala Harris held a call saying that there was no way that Biden would drop out and that she would stick with him until the end. And these were some of the biggest donors in the party."
Following Biden's announcement, Li observed Harris launching an intensive charm offensive to consolidate support within the party, implying she had Biden's backing. "She was flattering people left and right. The first 24 hours were a very intensive charm offensive on her part. And that’s how she was able to consolidate it so quickly. She flattered people up the wazoo. It made it abundantly clear that Biden had endorsed her. And Biden initially — I don’t know if people know this, but he didn’t want to endorse her right away. It took him a while."
Despite Harris's efforts, Li claimed that many wealthy donors were not convinced. "A lot of us have group chats. And the immediate reaction is what an effing waste of time. What a charade, how fake. Like these are like the wealthiest people in the country saying that. They were very aware they were being lied to, that Biden was clearly not okay and to be told that he was okay when he was clearly incapacitated," Li recounted. "It was insulting."
Representatives for Vice President Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.