Heir to the Disney fortune, 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. Disney had previously stated that she would halt all contributions until Biden was replaced as the party’s nominee.
In an email sent to CNBC on Monday, Disney confirmed her plan to support the Democratic Party again, as Biden has stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential run. Earlier this month, she had expressed her support for Harris, stating, “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 initial decision to withhold donations came after a series of setbacks for Biden, including a poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump, which prompted backlash from high-profile Democratic donors. Reports suggest that pressure from this donor class contributed to Biden’s decision to bow out of the race.
In addition to Disney, prominent figures in the Democratic donor community, including George Soros and his son Alex Soros, have also shown their support for Harris following Biden’s exit from the presidential race.