Abigail Disney, an heiress and granddaughter of a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has officially withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race.
Earlier this month, Disney had stated that she would withhold her contributions to the party “unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket.” However, following Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency, she confirmed in an email to CNBC that she would start supporting the party again.
When Disney initially declared her intention to pause donations, she expressed her backing for Harris, 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 if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot.”
Disney’s discontent with Biden emerged after his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump, leading to dissatisfaction among elite Democratic donors. Reports suggest that mounting pressure from this donor class and a decrease in funding contributed to Biden’s decision to exit the race.
Following Biden’s withdrawal, notable figures like George Soros and his son Alex Soros have also voiced their support for Harris.