Heiress Abigail Disney has announced that she will resume her financial contributions to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has decided not to seek reelection.
Earlier this month, Disney, whose grandfather was a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, declared that she would cease her donations until Biden was replaced at the top of the ticket. In an email to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed her return to support, stating, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” following Biden’s decision to withdraw and his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential candidacy.
When she first revealed her intention to stop donations, Disney expressed her backing for Harris, saying, “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 was among a group of high-profile Democratic donors who grew disillusioned with Biden following his underwhelming debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that pressure from influential donors, along with a decrease in campaign funding, played a role in Biden’s decision to withdraw.
Notably, George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, also voiced their support for Harris after Biden’s announcement.