Abigail Disney, heir to the Disney fortune, announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has decided not to seek reelection. Disney, whose grandfather co-founded The Walt Disney Company, previously stated that she would cease contributions until a new candidate replaced Biden at the helm of the ticket.
In an email to CNBC on Monday, Disney confirmed her decision to continue supporting the party, noting that Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. When she first declared her intention to halt donations, Disney also expressed her support for Harris, highlighting the Vice President’s qualities.
Disney remarked, “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.”
Her decision to withhold donations stemmed from discontent within the Democratic Party following Biden’s poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that the discontent from influential party donors, including Disney, played a role in prompting Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Following Biden’s announcement, prominent donors like George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, also voiced their support for Harris.