Democratic donor Maggie Kulyk said on Friday that her party needs to “grow a spine” by publicly expressing its concerns about President Joe Biden.

Biden held a press conference aimed at addressing concerns about his age and mental acuity Thursday evening, which have been under scrutiny since his underwhelming performance in the June 27 debate. Despite showing some improvement from his debate performance, the press conference did little to quell the growing calls from within his own party for him to withdraw from the race. A number of Democratic lawmakers continue to advocate for a new candidate to lead the party in the upcoming election.

“I think that it takes courage to come out publicly, and unfortunately, all of Washington lacks courage,” Kulyk told CNN host Sara Sidner. “I mean, frankly.”

The donor said she has written to Democratic legislators, urging them to share their honest opinions about Biden’s reelection bid openly. Kulyk added that many of her friends and acquaintances felt that Biden’s recent press conference did not significantly impact public opinion or address the concerns effectively.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think Joe Biden can do it,” she continued. “And that’s what’s so very, very concerning to me. So whoever comes out publicly or doesn’t come out publicly, at this stage of the game, that’s a little too late. We need to move forward and I think people need to, as I put it in an article, grow a spine and say what they’re really believing.”

She commended a New York Times op-ed by Democratic strategist James Carville, which urged top Democrats to conduct town halls to prepare Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination. Kulyk supported Carville’s suggestion, arguing that it would “unite the party” and lead to electoral victories.

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Democrat Donor Says Her Party Needs To ‘Grow A Spine’ By Expressing Concerns About Biden Publicly pic.twitter.com/87mFllmqsX

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 12, 2024

At least 16 congressional Democrats, including Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton and Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, have urged President Joe Biden to end his candidacy following his debate performance. Additionally, prominent left-wing figures, such as Hollywood actor George Clooney, have argued that the president should step down.

Polls indicate that Donald Trump is leading Biden in the highly competitive race. As of Friday, FiveThirtyEight reports Trump leading nationally by 42% to Biden’s 40%.