Divorce rumors have scared away Obamas' mega-donors: Report

For months, rumors have swirled around Washington, D.C., regarding the state of former President Barack Obama's marriage to Michelle Obama, with many whispers saying a divorce could be on the horizon.

Whether or not there's any truth to those rumors is yet to be seen, but the Daily Mail reported this week that some of the Obamas' longtime donors have dropped away amid the divorce talk.

A Daily Beast piece this week said that some of the donors to whom the Obamas have traditionally turned are dropping away at this point.

Two prime examples given are Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, who each have donated hundreds of millions to the Obamas, as recently as 2022.

The Daily Mail noted that the following year, fundraising totals on behalf of the Obamas plummeted some 50%, sending a clear signal that donors aren't interested in giving if the Democratic Party power couple decides to part ways for whatever reason.

One donor reportedly described Barack Obama as "arrogant," noting that the former president didn't really step in to fundraise for other people, so the favor -- or lack thereof -- is now being returned.

"He didn't help others when they were trying to fundraise and so they're not going to look out for the Obamas now," the donor source reportedly said. "They're no quid-pro-quo because it's a one-way street."

The Daily Mail noted:

Donors are also wary about the more than $5million that was paid out in 'executive compensation' and more than $27.36million in other wages in 2023, when Obama confidant Valerie Jarrett pulled in a $740,000 salary.

The bad news for the Obamas comes as the two continue to work to complete the Obama Presidential Center.

Supporters of the library are not only worried about 2024 fundraising totals, but they're also concerned about a $40 million lawsuit "that alleges that one of the main firms building the nation's first black president's library engaged in racial discrimination," the outlet reported.

The lawsuit reads, "In a shocking and disheartening turn of events, the African American owner of a local construction company finds himself and his company on the brink of forced closure because of racial discrimination by the structural engineer of record (Thornton Tomasetti) for the construction of The Obama Presidential Center."

The defendant, Tomasetti, denied any wrongdoing. He blamed the delays and extended construction costs "the underperformance and inexperience" of the Black-owned subcontractor.

The delays have inflated construction costs significantly, going from $500 million to now over $700 million.

Without heavy-hitting donors in their corner, it'll be interesting to see if the Obamas and their supporters can still pull it off.