Abigail Disney, heiress and granddaughter of a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, has announced that she will restart her donations to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Disney had previously stated she would halt contributions until Biden was replaced at the top of the Democratic ticket.
In an email to CNBC on Monday, Disney confirmed her renewed support, stating, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” now that Biden has exited the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Earlier this month, when she initially declared her intent to stop donations, she expressed her backing for Harris.
Disney praised Harris, commenting on the potential for success if the Democratic Party rally around the Vice President. “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) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot,” she stated.
Her decision reflects a broader discontent among prominent Democratic donors, many of whom became frustrated with Biden’s leadership. Reports suggest that the pressure from these donors, along with dwindling financial support, contributed to Biden’s decision to withdraw. Other major Democratic donors, including George Soros and his son Alex Soros, also expressed their support for Harris following Biden’s announcement.