Abigail Disney, the heiress and granddaughter of a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, announced that she will reinstate her donations to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to exit the 2024 presidential race. Earlier this month, Disney had declared her intention to cease contributions until Biden stepped down, expressing her support for Vice President Kamala Harris as a suitable replacement.
In an email correspondence with CNBC on Monday, Disney confirmed, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” in light of Biden’s withdrawal and his endorsement of Harris for the presidency. When she initially made her decision to halt donations, she expressed strong backing for Harris.
Disney 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.”
Her previous stance was part of a broader discontent among prominent Democratic donors, triggered by Biden’s poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that pressure from the donor community played a role in Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.
Additionally, billionaire donor George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, have also expressed their endorsement for Harris following Biden’s announcement.