Abigail Disney, an heiress and granddaughter of a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, announced that she will resume her financial contributions to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has withdrawn his candidacy for reelection.
Earlier this month, Disney had declared that she would halt any donations to the party until Biden was replaced at the top of the ticket. In a recent email to CNBC, she confirmed her decision to re-engage with the party’s fundraising efforts, now that Biden has stepped down and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential run.
When she initially paused her donations, Disney expressed her support for Harris, praising her as an excellent Vice President. She stated, “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.”
Disney’s discontent with Biden coincided with a broader movement among elite Democratic donors who were dissatisfied with the President’s performance, particularly following a challenging debate against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that pressure from influential donors and diminishing funds contributed to Biden’s decision to exit the race.
Additionally, financier George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, have also expressed their support for Harris after Biden’s announcement.