Two Democrats are reportedly eyeing a number of celebrities ― including Taylor Swift ― to lend their support in a “blitz primary” process if President Joe Biden were to drop his reelection bid before November.
The plan ― which Semafor first reported and CNBC detailed Sunday ― involves Biden exiting the race in mid-July and announcing the process after his poor debate performance has caused Democrats to call on him to step down.
The process would allow potential Biden replacements to express their interest in running before a “primary sprint” that would bring the field down to six candidates who get the most votes from delegates ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
Swift ― as well as Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Colbert ― were named among celebrities who could moderate forums with the candidates in an effort to engage voters.
The singer, a Trump critic who previously showed her support for the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020, has yet to endorse anyone for president in 2024.
The plan further details that delegates would vote for the nominee prior to the convention next month while Biden ― along with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton ― could announce the replacement candidate.
The proposal stems from Georgetown University law professor Rosa Brooks, who previously worked in the Obama and Clinton administrations along with serving as a volunteer policy adviser on the Biden 2020 campaign, and Ted Dintersmith, a Democratic donor and former venture capitalist.
It was reportedly shared with Democratic donors, fundraisers, Biden administration officials and members of the Biden campaign.
“The tone has very much been, ‘Oh, my God, this is probably impossible, but what a great idea,’” Brooks told CNBC, who also noted that parts of the plan have been tweaked since the proposal was shared with Democrats.
“It’s gone, in a few days from, ‘Oh, this would be so great if only it could happen, but it probably can’t,’ to ‘Why can’t it?’”
Dintersmith told Semafor that in the “midst of malaise and crisis, we can forge an uplifting path.”
He noted to CNBC that he and Brooks aren’t in a position to “define what actually happens.”
“But we’re so encouraged by the uniform reaction: ‘Wow! If something along these lines happened, America would be lifted up from our current doldrums,’” Dintersmith wrote in an email.
A Biden campaign spokesperson, in response to Semafor and CNBC’s reports on the plan, pointed to the president declaring that he wouldn’t let “one 90-minute debate wipe out three and a half years of work” on Friday.
The campaign said it had its “strongest grassroots” fundraising to ever start a month in July.
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