Democratic donors unenthused about donating to Biden's presidential library

Democratic donors are un-enthused about donating to former President Biden's presidential library.

Several donors told NBC News that they either wouldn't give to library.

“I want an $800,000 refund,” said John Morgan, a Florida-based personal injury lawyer and longtime Biden supporter. Morgan said he raised nearly $1 million for Biden that went to then-Vice President Kamala Harris last year, after she took Biden’s place as the Democratic presidential nominee.

“I don’t believe a library will ever be built unless it’s a bookmobile from the old days,” Morgan added.

“It is my opinion no significant building will be built,” he said, noting his suggestion of a bookmobile was a joke, “but not by much.”

Morgan said that Biden’s age, 82, and medical issues are reasons the former president might not be much help with raising money for the library.

“Couple that with the perception that [the party’s] woes rest with his decision to seek a second term and we have the Hindenburg heading straight towards us.”

Susie Buell, a major Democratic Party donor, said, “No one has asked, but I am not inclined to give to libraries.”

Another donor said, “I’d like him to have some nice library. I just don’t see that’s where I’m going to spend my money.”

A former Biden administration official and bundler said regarding donating to the library, “Me? No way.”

Close to a dozen donors talked to NBC News, citing various factors for not wanting to donate, including not wanting to be targeted by the Trump administration and wanting to save their resources for the future of the Democratic Party. Some donors noted that the personal interactions they had with Biden’s inner circle were so distasteful that they doubted they would ever raise significant funds for him.

Many Democrats are still upset with Biden for seeking a second term, only to drop out close to the election.

Rufus Gifford, who led Biden’s 2024 campaign fundraising and was finance director for former President Barack Obama, is the chairman of the library board. He said he believes that, despite some challenges, donors will want to sign on to the library.

“Those of us who have been around for a while and love the guy but also understand the full picture want to see what we can do to protect and promote his legacy,” Gifford said. “This isn’t about the past. It’s about the future.”

A source familiar with the Biden team’s plans told NBC News that the library's goal would be to bring in $200 million and $300 million. That amount is far less than the $850 million cost of the Obama Presidential Library, due to open in Chicago in the spring.

“This is a very difficult time to raise large checks for Democrats because of how vindictive Donald Trump is,” Democratic National Committee fundraising Chairman Chris Korge said, referencing conversations with major donors.

Korge said that he had personally urged Biden and his team multiple times early on to focus on raising money for a library and to perhaps not seek a second term.

“I did tell them that if Biden didn’t run [in 2024] he would go out as a hero, and he could focus the last two years of his term on setting himself up to raise a lot of money for the library,” Korge said.

He also said that presidents have unique opportunities to engage with some of the most influential people in the country, and that, “in retrospect he probably should have done more of that.”