Heiress Abigail Disney announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has exited the race for reelection. Disney, whose grandfather was a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, had previously stated that she would halt her contributions until the party replaced Biden at the top of the ticket.
In an email to CNBC, Disney confirmed her decision to support the party once again, now that Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination. When she initially declared her plan to withhold donations, she expressed her backing for Harris, stating that the Vice President deserves more support from the party.
Disney pointed out the need for Democrats to unite around Harris, suggesting that if they could overlook some of her perceived flaws as they had with Biden, they could achieve a significant electoral victory. Her decision to cease contributions came in the wake of Biden’s lackluster debate performance against former President Donald Trump, which stirred dissatisfaction among elite Democratic donors. This pressure, along with a decline in financial support, reportedly contributed to Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.
Prominent Democratic donors, including George Soros and his son Alex Soros, have also voiced their support for Harris following Biden’s announcement.