Heiress Abigail Disney announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the reelection race. Disney, a granddaughter of one of the co-founders of The Walt Disney Company, previously stated that she would halt contributions until the party replaced Biden as its candidate.
In an email to CNBC, she confirmed her support, saying, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” now that Biden has stepped back and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
When Disney initially withheld her donations, she expressed her backing for Harris. She emphasized the value of having a strong Vice President and critiqued the Democratic Party for not fully supporting Harris in the same way they tolerated Biden’s shortcomings, suggesting that issues of race and gender play a role in that disparity. Disney believed that if the party could unite behind Harris, they would have a significant chance of winning the election.
She was among several high-profile Democratic donors who publicly criticized Biden after what many viewed as a poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports indicated that the pressure from the donor community and diminishing funds were contributing factors to Biden’s decision to exit the race. Following this development, notable philanthropists like George Soros and his son Alex Soros also expressed their support for Harris.