Heiress Abigail Disney has announced that she will resume her financial contributions to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Earlier this month, Disney, the granddaughter of one of the co-founders of The Walt Disney Company, declared that she would halt her donations until there was a change in the party leadership at the top of the ticket. In an email to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” now that Biden has stepped down and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
When she initially declared her intention to withdraw financial support, Disney expressed her backing for Harris. She stated, “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.”
Disney’s decision to withhold donations was echoed by several elite donors within the Democratic Party, who were discontented with Biden’s performance during debates, particularly against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that this pressure from major contributors contributed to Biden’s decision to exit the race.
Notably, prominent Democratic financiers like George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, have also endorsed Harris following Biden’s withdrawal announcement.