Heiress Abigail Disney has announced her intention to resume donations to the Democratic Party following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Disney, who is a descendant of one of the co-founders of The Walt Disney Company, had previously declared that she would cease contributions to the party until Biden was replaced at the top of the ticket. In an email to CNBC on Monday, she confirmed her renewed support, stating, “Yes, I will resume supporting,” now that Biden has stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
When she initially paused her donations, Disney expressed her backing for Harris, remarking, “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 discontent with Biden intensified following his underwhelming debate performance against former President Donald Trump, which fueled discontent among elite Democratic donors. This dissatisfaction, along with decreasing financial support, has been cited as contributing factors to Biden’s exit from the race.
Notably, major Democratic donors George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, have also pledged their endorsement to Harris following the announcement of Biden’s withdrawal.