Donald Trump actually dodged a bullet Saturday however the try on his life has already had unintended penalties each profoundly tragic and deeply ironic. Together with leaving one in all Trump’s rally-goers lifeless and injuring two others, the failed assassination try seems to have mortally wounded the dump Joe Biden motion, no less than so far as some Hollywood donors are involved.
“We missed the window and there’s no urge for food proper now for any huge strikes that can throw extra uncertainty and friction into this race,” a well-placed company government advised Sizzling Supply the day after the capturing. “I believe the consensus amongst donors is that we simply go together with what we’ve got and make our case and hope for a miracle.”
Over the previous couple of weeks, since Biden’s 90-minute senior second at his debate with Donald Trump, a large swath of Hollywood A-listers publicly referred to as on him to step out of the race. George Clooney’s scorching op-ed for The New York Instances (wherein he declared that the President “wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020”) obtained probably the most media consideration. However Rob Reiner additionally did an about-face on the race (“It’s time to cease fucking round,” he posted on social media), as did Michael Douglas (“I’m deeply, deeply involved,” he confessed on The View), Misplaced co-creator Damon Lindelof (“It’s time to wake the fuck up,” he demanded in an editorial for Deadline), Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings (“It’s not about loyalty,” he argued in an electronic mail to The Instances, “it’s about successful”), and Endeavour CEO Ari Emanuel (“We’re in fuck metropolis,” he bluntly put it on the Aspen Concepts Pageant).
However now, with the capturing in Pennsylvania apparently crushing all that replace-Biden momentum, Democrats in Hollywood are surveying the wreckage and searching for somebody responsible. And for a lot of, the apparent somebody to level a finger at is Jeffrey Katzenberg, former DreamWorks co-founder, Quibi co-creator, and at the moment Biden’s marketing campaign co-chair. For months, Katzenberg has not solely been bragging about his intimate entry to the President however assuring anybody who would hear (and write a verify) that Biden was in tip-top psychological form. Whereas Biden’s press convention final week soothed some frayed nerves, others remained unconvinced.
“Individuals are pissed,” a prime Hollywood donor tells Sizzling Supply. “Katzenberg requested for large, huge checks and when folks requested in regards to the President’s well being, he stated, ‘No, no, no, he’s superb.’ However that was only a lie, a complete lie.”
Within the phrases of one other excessive positioned Hollywood exec, “Jeffrey considered Biden like he was an animated character that he may market to folks. There’s actual resentment in the direction of him.”
And one other: “Jeffrey has been spinning in methods past even what the marketing campaign does. His pomposity is sky excessive.”
A couple of who talked to Sizzling Supply imagine Katzenberg, nonetheless stinging from Quibi’s epic fail in 2020, hoped to leverage his political affect within the Biden marketing campaign right into a comeback of kinds. “Katzenberg has all the time been within the shadows of Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, who’ve quietly turn out to be elder statesmen,” yet one more Hollywood exec says. “He’s just like the little brother making an attempt to show himself to the older brothers. He can’t assist himself.”
After all, not everybody on the town is becoming a member of in on the Katzenberg katzenjammer. At the very least one distinguished determine — and longtime Katzenberg pal — is coming to his protection.
“I believe Jeffrey Katzenberg has been a terrific, loyal, fundraiser and cheerleader for the President,” Barry Diller, chairman of IAC and Democratic donor who employed Katzenberg to be his assistant at Paramount again in 1974, advised Sizzling Supply. “I believe he has dealt with a really troublesome scenario with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. He has deceived nobody.”
Katzenberg himself has not responded to requests for remark.