Lindy Li (Picture credit: X)
Lindy Li
, a major
Democratic National Committee
fundraiser, has left the
Democratic Party
, citing internal issues and backlash over her criticisms of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Following her departure, Li accused the party of wasting their "hard-earned money" and billions during the presidential campaign. She also questioned the payments made to TV host Oprah Winfrey through her production company, describing her departure as "leaving a cult" during recent media appearances.
'Leaving a cult'
Li announced her decision to leave the party during recent media appearances, describing the negative reactions she faced within the party.
"This past week has been harrowing for me," Li said during an interview with Piers Morgan on FOX News. "On Saturday, I went on Fox & Friends and said, 'Democrats have a stench of loser hanging over them.' As soon as I said that, there were boycott campaigns against me—unblock, unfollow campaigns."
She reported losing a significant number of social media followers after voicing her opinions and supporting Republican Pete Hegseth.
"I lost tens of thousands of followers because I dared to tell the truth," Li said. "In a cult, you can't tell the truth or ask questions, but I'm done with that."
Li compared leaving the Democratic Party to "leaving a cult," saying in the interview, "It's like leaving a cult."
Lindy questions Democrats' use of funds
Li criticized Harris and Biden, questioning their leadership and political strategies. "They essentially set $2.5 billion on fire... We still haven't gotten any answers as to why Oprah, a billionaire, got $2.5 million through her production company."
Li also raised concerns about funds spent on Al Sharpton. "Then they spent $500,000 essentially bribing Al Sharpton moments before he interviewed her. And this is our hard-earned money. This is the money that I worked so hard to raise."
'My donors are pissed'
Li elaborated further, saying, "My donors are pissed… It's my responsibility to ask what the hell happened with their money… These are legitimate questions, but no, in the cult, you can't ask questions. And leaving the Democratic Party or even questioning the Democratic Party is like leaving a cult. It's terrifying. I don't want to be a part of this craziness anymore. They're accelerating my rightward shift."
She asserted that the Democratic Party had only itself to blame for alienating her and other prominent fundraisers.
"They're shrinking their tent. They're basically pushing me to bring my tens of millions of dollars that I've raised and can continue to raise to a different team that treats me better, that treats me with common decency."
Oprah denies taking money from Harris
Oprah Winfrey previously denied receiving a personal fee or $1 million for participating in a Kamala Harris campaign event.
In September, Winfrey interviewed Harris at the "Unite for America" rally in Michigan. The event featured virtual appearances by Hollywood stars like Jennifer Lopez and Meryl Streep, drawing hundreds of thousands of viewers.
'They're calling me a spy'
Li said that she had been accused of working as a "communist spy," an allegation she found deeply offensive given her family history.
"They're calling me a spy for the regime that killed my great-grandfather, and these are the people who call themselves the social justice warriors," she told Morgan. "They're going headfirst into racism anytime someone dares to disagree with them. I want to be a part of the team that says men are men and women are women, and men shouldn't play in women's sports."
She criticized the Democratic Party, saying, "All these so-called Democrats, the party of inclusion, the party of diversity, masks off. And it's even worse because they pretend to occupy the moral high ground. They pretend to be so loving and caring and embracing of diversity, but all of a sudden, when I dare to utter any criticisms of the goddess Kamala Harris, I get ostracized. Me, after having raised tens of millions of dollars for the party."
Will Li attend Trump's inauguration?
Li claimed that President-elect Donald Trump's allies have treated her more "humanely" than her former party.
She expressed her intention to attend Trump's inauguration in January 2025 and work with organizations she considers to have "common decency."
Li added, "People on Trump's team have already reached out to me to see if I'd be willing to switch. So, I'm not an orphan, you know? And I know people are actively trying to recruit me."