Abigail Disney, an heiress and philanthropist, announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has decided not to seek reelection.
Earlier this month, Disney, whose grandfather co-founded The Walt Disney Company, stated that she would halt any contributions to the party until a new candidate took Biden’s place at the top of the ticket. However, in an email to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed her intention to support the party again following Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination.
When she made her initial decision to pause donations, Disney expressed her backing for Harris, emphasizing her belief that the Democratic Party should rally behind 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 remarked.
Disney is among a group of prominent Democratic donors who expressed dissatisfaction with Biden following what many viewed as a poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that the pressure from donors and a decrease in financial support contributed to Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race. Additionally, notable figures such as George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, have also endorsed Harris after Biden’s announcement.