Heiress Abigail Disney has announced that she will resume her financial contributions to the Democratic Party now that President Joe Biden has officially ended his bid for reelection. Disney, whose grandfather was a co-founder of The Walt Disney Company, had previously stated that she would halt her donations until Biden was replaced as the party’s candidate.
In an email to CNBC on Monday, Disney confirmed her intention to start supporting the party again following Biden’s withdrawal and his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. When she initially chose to suspend her donations, Disney expressed her support for Harris, emphasizing the Vice President’s qualifications.
“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 had previously stated.
Disney was among a number of prominent Democratic donors who withdrew their financial support in response to Biden’s poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest that pressure from wealthy donors and a decline in funding played a significant role in Biden’s decision to exit the race. Following Biden’s announcement, notable figures such as George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, also expressed their endorsement of Harris.