Abigail Disney, the heiress and granddaughter of one of the co-founders of The Walt Disney Company, has announced that she will recommence her donations to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has decided not to seek reelection.
Earlier this month, Disney had declared she would halt contributions until Biden was replaced at the top of the ticket. In a recent email to CNBC, she confirmed her renewed support, stating, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” following Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the next presidential candidate.
When Disney initially made her announcement to withhold donations, she expressed her support for Harris, emphasizing, “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… we can win this election by a lot.” She indicated that race and gender factors heavily into the unequal treatment of the two leaders within the party.
Disney was among several prominent Democratic donors who became disenchanted with Biden after his poor debate performance against Donald Trump. Reports suggest that pressure from major donors and a decline in financial support contributed to Biden’s decision to step aside. Notable philanthropist George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, also voiced their endorsement of Harris following the announcement of Biden’s withdrawal from the race.