Heiress Abigail Disney has announced that she will recommence her financial contributions to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.
Earlier this month, Disney, whose grandfather was a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, expressed that she would cease her donations until a new candidate replaced Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. In an email to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed her intent to resume support now that Biden has stepped down and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
At the time of her initial announcement to halt contributions, Disney had already shown her support for Harris. She stated, “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.”
Disney was among several prominent Democratic donors who expressed dissatisfaction with Biden following what was widely regarded as a poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that pressure from the donor community, along with a decline in funding, contributed to Biden’s decision to step aside. Following Biden’s announcement, notable figures such as George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, also endorsed Harris for the presidential nomination.