Joe Biden spent four years trying to convince Americans he was a transformational President.
Now he's getting a reality check on what people really think.
And Biden's presidential library just hit a humiliating problem that will haunt his final years.
Donors Are Running From Biden's Presidential Library Like It's on Fire
Joe Biden unveiled plans for his presidential library back in September, assembling former aides and political allies to oversee what was supposed to be a grand monument to his presidency.
The Biden Foundation pitched it as "a vibrant and lasting space where history, learning, and civic leadership come together."
But nobody's buying it.
IRS filings reveal that Biden's library foundation didn't receive a single new donation in 2024 — the final year of his presidency.¹
The only money the foundation has is $4 million left over from Biden's 2021 inauguration.
The foundation told the IRS it expects to raise just $11.3 million by the end of 2027.²
That's not a typo.
$11.3 million total.
Compare that to Barack Obama's presidential center in Chicago, which has raised over $1.5 billion and cost at least $850 million to build.³
George W. Bush raised $500 million for his library.
Donald Trump is targeting nearly $1 billion for his planned library in Miami.
Biden's team privately discussed raising $200 million, but they're not even close to 10% of that goal.
One longtime Democrat donor summed up the mood perfectly.
"He'll be lucky to have a bookmobile," Florida lawyer John Morgan told The New York Times.⁴
Morgan raised nearly $1 million for Biden in 2024 before Biden dropped out and handed the nomination to Kamala Harris.
Now he wants a refund.
"The Biden staff, they ruined any type of good library for him," Morgan added.
Even Biden's Biggest Supporters Don't Want to Give
The New York Times reported that many of Biden's most loyal contributors say they haven't even been contacted about donating to the library.⁵
Others who were approached made it clear they have zero interest in writing checks.
Democratic fundraiser Susie Buell said flatly, "No one has asked, but I am not inclined to give to libraries."⁶
Some donors are directing their money toward opposing Trump instead of honoring Biden's legacy.
Others are still furious about Biden's decision to run for reelection despite his obvious cognitive decline and the chaos that followed when he was forced to drop out.
Biden's pardon of his son Hunter on December 1 further alienated Democratic donors who saw it as a betrayal after Biden repeatedly promised he wouldn't interfere with his son's prosecution.⁷
The foundation scheduled Biden's first donor event for Monday in Georgetown, but expectations are low.
Even with aggressive fundraising, the foundation doesn't expect to hit even $12 million by 2027.
Talks Are Already Underway to Fold Biden's Library Into Delaware University
The fundraising disaster has Biden's team discussing a backup plan — merging the presidential library with existing Biden projects at the University of Delaware.
The university has already raised more than $20 million, including a $20 million “contribution” from the Delaware state government – that should say stolen from taxpayers – to build "Biden Hall" at the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.⁸
Folding the library into the university would be far cheaper and more modest than modern presidential libraries.
It would also be an admission that Biden can't raise serious money for his legacy project.
But siphoning off taxpayer dollars for a personal boost would be on brand for Biden.
Four people familiar with the discussions told the Times that consolidation is being considered, though both the university and Biden Foundation declined to comment.⁹
Translation: they know it's humiliating, but they're running out of options.
Biden spent 36 years in the Senate, eight years as Vice President, and four years as President.
But he can't convince people to fund a library celebrating his time in office.
That tells you everything about how Americans view his presidency — a failure marked by inflation, open borders, Afghanistan catastrophe, and cognitive decline that Democrats covered up until it was too late.
¹ Annie Karni and Shane Goldmacher, "Biden Has Raised Little of What He Needs to Build His Presidential Library," The New York Times, December 14, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Emily Bittner, Obama Foundation spokesperson, quoted in multiple sources including Fox News and Wikipedia, September 2025.
⁴ John Morgan, quoted in Annie Karni and Shane Goldmacher, "Biden Has Raised Little of What He Needs to Build His Presidential Library," The New York Times, December 14, 2025.
⁵ Annie Karni and Shane Goldmacher, "Biden Has Raised Little of What He Needs to Build His Presidential Library," The New York Times, December 14, 2025.
⁶ Susie Buell, quoted in Alex Thompson and Michael Kruse, "'No way': Democratic donors balk at donating to Biden's presidential library," NBC News, September 12, 2025.
⁷ "President Biden pardons his son Hunter," NPR, December 1, 2024.
⁸ Annie Karni and Shane Goldmacher, "Biden Has Raised Little of What He Needs to Build His Presidential Library," The New York Times, December 14, 2025.
⁹ Ibid.
