Abigail Disney, the heiress and granddaughter of one of the co-founders of The Walt Disney Company, has announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the reelection race.
Previously, Disney had stated that she would halt contributions until Biden was replaced at the top of the ticket. In an email to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed her renewed support, stating, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” now that Biden has stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential candidacy.
In her earlier remarks about withholding donations, Disney had expressed her backing for Harris. She highlighted Harris’s qualifications and called for unity among Democrats, saying, “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’s initial decision to withdraw financial support was part of a broader backlash among elite Democratic donors after Biden’s poor performance in a debate against Donald Trump. Reports indicated that pressure from major donors and diminishing funds contributed to Biden’s eventual exit from the race.
Notably, billionaire donor George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, also expressed their endorsement for Harris following Biden’s announcement.