Heiress Abigail Disney has announced that she will resume her donations to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Earlier this month, Disney, whose grandfather co-founded The Walt Disney Company, stated that she would halt any contributions to the party until a new candidate was chosen to lead. In a message to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” now that Biden has stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
When she initially declared her decision to stop donations, Disney had expressed her support for Harris. She noted the Vice President’s capabilities and emphasized the need for the Democratic Party to unify behind her. “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 remarked.
Disney’s discontent with Biden escalated after his lackluster debate performance against former President Donald Trump, prompting her and other prominent Democratic donors to reconsider their financial support. Reports suggest that mounting pressure from the donor community contributed to Biden’s decision to withdraw. Following the announcement of Biden’s exit, notable figures such as George Soros and his son Alex have also thrown their support behind Harris.