PROVINCETOWN, Mass. — A call Friday involving Vice President Kamala Harris and about 300 major Democratic donors left many participants frustrated, with one donor calling it “ridiculous” shortly before the call ended, according to two sources familiar with the call.
One participant described the interview as “poorly managed” and “rushed.” He added that expectations were not well managed and that some participants left feeling like they had been reprimanded.
This person and two other sources said many donors joined in the hope of getting insider insight into how to move forward in the wake of President Joe BidenDonald Trump’s disappointing debate performance and the growing number of Democrats calling for him to drop out of the race led donors to say they left the conference call feeling disappointed and not feeling like they got any useful new information.
“It was a total failure,” said one source on the call who spoke on condition of anonymity to give a candid assessment. “It was damaging. It was bad planning.”
The call was hosted by Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign chairwoman, and not the campaign’s finance team, according to a source familiar with the matter. One of the sources who participated in the call said the donors who participated represented a wide range of views — some were die-hard Biden fans, others were unsure about his path forward and many in between.
At the end of the call, hundreds of participants did not mute their microphones and one person said the call was “ridiculous,” according to two of the sources.
One source stressed that they interpreted the comment to mean that the call was poorly organized, not as a criticism of Harris.
During the call, Harris, who was invited to join the call by Biden’s senior advisers, praised Biden, according to campaign officials.
“We know which candidate in this election puts the American people first: our president, Joe Biden,” she said, according to campaign officials. “Every decision he makes in the Oval Office, he thinks about the impact it will have on American workers. And I see that every day.”
Harris also spoke positively about Democrats’ chances of beating the former President Donald Trump“This is something that I believe in from the bottom of my heart,” Harris said, according to campaign officials. “It’s something that I feel strongly about and that you should all hear and take with you when you leave. And tell your friends, too. We are going to win this election. We are going to win.”
NBC News has reached out to the Biden campaign for comment.
The fallout from that call comes as donations to the Biden-Harris campaign and Democratic groups have plummeted and Harris has been repeatedly deployed to speak to donors as questions swirl about Biden’s future on the ticket.
The call with donors began with presentations from field organizers who expressed anger at the ongoing debate within the Democratic Party over support for President Biden, given what they have seen and heard from voters on the ground, according to a source with direct knowledge of the discussion.
One source said that before Harris arrived, there appeared to be an attempt at a delay, which he said is normal for events involving high-ranking officials. But what irked many donors, the source said, was that during the wait — which lasted about 20 minutes — donors were “berated.” Participants on the call were told they should “engage and support” Biden and not pursue efforts to oust the president.
“Help us turn down the volume on this conversation publicly,” Melissa Morales, founder and president of Somos Votantes, said on the call, according to a transcript obtained by NBC News. “It’s time to put an end to the leaks and rumors that are circulating. Your message has been heard and received. But every day that we continue this chaotic public conversation, we move closer to defeat, no matter who the candidate is.”
This did not please some participants in the call.
“These are donors who are not used to being reprimanded and told what to do,” the source said.
Another source on the call who supports Harris’ bid for the Democratic nomination addressed the donor’s frustrations.
The person said that even though many donors thought they were going to get relevant and confidential information, they immediately went to the media and proved why they should not get it.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Harris spoke at a campaign fundraiser in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and hailed Biden as one of the most important presidents in history.
Harris received repeated applause during her speech, citing her and Biden’s record, including championing LGBTQ rights.
But the loudest applause from the crowd came when someone in the crowd of 1,000 shouted, “Go get him Kamala,” as Harris criticized Trump.
The applause lasted for several seconds as Harris smiled and looked out at the cheering crowd of about a thousand people.
After Harris left the stage, Lennie Alickman, 63, said she wanted to see Biden step down.
“She’s walking a tightrope. She has to be very careful not to alienate Biden,” Alickman said when asked why Harris praised Biden throughout her speech. “I would actually like to see Kamala at the top of the ticket. She could lead and continue the policies of the Biden administration. I like Biden, but I’m not sure he’s up to the task. And I’m afraid he’s going to lose to Trump.”
John Newton, 75, who attended the fundraiser, also said he thought Biden should drop out of the race and wanted to see Harris become the party’s nominee.
“I love Joe,” Newton said. “In a business context, it’s like an 81-year-old salesman who messes up at a convention and doesn’t meet his targets. And you have to go and tell him, ‘Judy’s replacing you.’ It’s not funny. But unfortunately, that’s what has to happen.”
Harris ended her speech at the reportedly $2 million fundraising event by talking about her campaign manager when she ran for district attorney in San Francisco.
She said he told her: “You have to recognize what you’re fighting for and know that those who oppose progress will always try to suggest that a movement for freedom is somehow subversive and that it undermines who we are as a nation or our traditions. But what we know is that we strengthen who we are as a nation when we fight to expand rights.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
