Heiress Abigail Disney announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Earlier this month, Disney, whose grandfather was a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, had stated she would cease contributions to the party until a new candidate replaced Biden at the top of the ticket. In an email to CNBC, she confirmed her return to supporting the party, stating, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” now that Biden has stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
When she first declared her halt on donations, Disney expressed her support for Harris, emphasizing, “We have an excellent Vice President.” She criticized the Democratic Party for not rallying around Harris, arguing that the party should not tolerate Biden’s shortcomings while expecting less from Harris, referencing issues of race and gender in the inequality of treatment.
Disney was among several prominent Democratic donors who expressed disappointment with Biden’s performance, especially following a poor debate against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that the discontent among the donor class contributed to Biden’s decision to exit the race. Notably, billionaire George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, also expressed their support for Harris after Biden’s announcement.