To Mr. Schwarzman, the notion appeared absurd. “This has been a tough time,” he stated, in accordance to a participant who shared particulars from a transcript of the decision. Both the media protection and the polls had misled folks, Mr. Schwarzman stated, and because of this, “people generally are skeptical about what anyone’s telling them.”
He argued that the vote counts, which had been persevering with days after the election, had created a notion downside, particularly in locations the place Mr. Trump appeared to have an early win just for a Biden victory to be declared later. His feedback didn’t sit nicely with some attendees.
“It was 100 percent known in advance that this was exactly what would happen in a place like Pennsylvania,” replied Richard H. Pildes, a constitutional-law knowledgeable, in accordance to the participant who had the transcript. Kenneth Frazier, the chief govt of Merck, added that Mr. Trump’s actions had been undermining democracy and needs to be of nice concern, recalled attendees.
After Mr. Schwarzman’s feedback had been leaked to The Financial Times, some Blackstone traders started elevating questions, say workers briefed on the calls. Staff members of pension funds, which make investments with Blackstone, had beforehand informed the agency’s officers that they wished Mr. Schwarzman would keep away from politics. Now, one pension needed to know extra about what he had stated to the opposite executives and why, and one other complained that they didn’t like what they had been studying, two Blackstone workers stated.
Even as he discovered himself ensnared in controversy, Mr. Schwarzman declined to criticize the president. It took him till Nov. 16 — greater than per week after the election was known as by networks — to acknowledge the win at an financial discussion board. (“It looks like Joe Biden,” he stated.)
As Mr. Trump refused to concede, Mr. Schwarzman declined to signal a Nov. 23 letter during which greater than 160 chief executives demanded a transition of energy. Instead, he issued his personal assertion that “the country should move on,” including that “I supported President Trump and the strong economic path he built.” (Jon Gray, Blackstone’s president and a giant supporter of Mr. Biden, signed the group letter.)
Mr. Schwarzman additionally seems prepared to transfer on. After the storming of the Capitol, he informed colleagues that he thought the president needs to be eliminated. And he’s now “ready,” he has stated in current ready statements, to assist Mr. Biden and his group.
