Abigail Disney, heiress and granddaughter of a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, announced she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race. In a recent statement, Disney expressed her decision to support the party again following Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
Earlier this month, Disney had stated that she would halt her contributions to the Democratic Party until a new candidate replaced Biden at the top of the ticket. In an email sent to CNBC, she confirmed her intention to resume support based on Biden’s exit from the race.
When she initially decided to withhold her donations, Disney expressed her backing for Harris, stating, “We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one-tenth as much as they have tolerated Biden’s (and let’s not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity)… we can win this election by a lot.”
Disney was among several prominent donors within the Democratic Party who expressed dissatisfaction with Biden’s performance, particularly following a challenging debate against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that pressure from major contributors and a decrease in funding may have contributed to Biden’s decision to exit the race.
Other notable Democratic donors, including George Soros and his son Alex Soros, have also voiced their support for Harris in light of Biden’s withdrawal.