Many people have gotten credit for Donald Trump's epic, nation-saving election victory: Joe Rogan and the podcast bros; Latino voters; McDonald's; even that dork Thomas Matthew Crooks, whose failed assassination attempt turned Trump into an instant folk hero, played a part in making America great again for the second time.
But there's an unsung hero lurking in Washington's shadows, and he deserves as much credit as anyone: longtime Joe Biden whisperer Mike Donilon.
When Democratic powerbrokers and donors started questioning Biden's decision to run for reelection, opening the window for an open primary that could have ended in a more formidable nominee—boom! There was Mike, armed with thick binders of "totally reassuring" polling data to convince his buddy to stay in the fight. As Biden grew increasingly worn out by his grueling 10 a.m.-12 p.m. schedule, Donilon advised the president's handlers to lighten his workload. Even after Biden’s disastrous debate performance in June 2024, Donilon stood by his man, insisting Biden merely had a bad night and would rebound to electoral victory.
Some say Donilon was motivated by loyalty to a close personal friend who had been at his side since Ted Kennedy was groping waitresses. Touching, right? Not exactly. After the election, the man now known as Money Mike revealed other reasons he may have wanted to keep Biden in the race—four million of them, to be precise. That's the amount of money Donilon testified he would have earned had he somehow dragged Biden across the finish line last November. All he had to do was con the American public into thinking he wasn't committing elder abuse every time he hauled old Joe in front of a camera. Cha-ching!
Some may criticize this blatant greed, but as Gordon Gekko once said: "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works."
While Donilon ultimately fell short, it worked out well for the American people and others.
Imagine if Donilon lacked the incentive to keep Biden’s political husk in office and on the campaign trail deep into the 2024 election cycle. Had Biden served just one term as president, as he once pledged to do, the Democratic Party would have actually held debates. Kamala Harris, who dropped out of the 2020 presidential primary before a single vote was cast, certainly would not have prevailed, giving Democrats a fighting chance of defeating Trump.
Thus, for masterfully propping up a visibly fading president, saddling Democrats with the worst candidate imaginable, and accidentally engineering Trump's triumphant return—all while chasing that fat bonus—Mike Donilon earns the prestigious title of Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year.