Abigail Disney, the 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 decided not to pursue reelection.
Earlier this month, Disney had stated her intention to halt any contributions until Biden was replaced at the top of the ticket. However, in an email to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed her support once again, stating, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” following Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
When she initially declared her decision to withhold donations, Disney expressed her backing for Harris. She emphasized the strengths of the Vice President and noted the need for the Democratic Party to unite behind her. “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,” she stated.
Disney’s change of heart aligns with a growing discontent among several elite Democratic donors regarding Biden’s leadership, particularly after his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that mounting pressure from major donors and a decrease in funding contributed to Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race. Notably, philanthropist George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, have also endorsed Harris following Biden’s announcement.