Heiress Abigail Disney has announced that she will resume her financial contributions to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race.
Disney, who is the granddaughter of one of the co-founders of The Walt Disney Company, had previously stated that she would cease her donations until Biden was no longer at the forefront of the party. In an email to CNBC, she confirmed her change of stance by saying, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” now that Biden has officially stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
When she initially declared her intent to suspend donations, Disney expressed her backing for Harris, emphasizing the Vice President’s capabilities. “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 remarked.
Disney was among several prominent Democratic donors who expressed dissatisfaction with Biden, particularly following his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that the pressure from major donors and a decrease in funding contributed to Biden’s decision to step down.
Notably, billionaire George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, also announced their support for Harris after Biden’s withdrawal from the race.