Disney heiress says she'll stop donating to Democrats unless they replace Biden on ticket
A Disney heiress says she plans to stop donating to the Democratic Party unless President Biden drops out of the 2024 race after his dismaying debate performance against former President Trump last week.
“I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,” Abigail Disney, granddaughter of The Walt Disney Company co-founder Roy O. Disney, told CNBC Thursday.
“If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire,” she added.
Disney is a longtime Democratic donor, contributing nearly $2 million to federal Democratic candidates, committees and groups since 1992, according to The Hill’s analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) contributions.
She’s donated a combined $63,000 so far this cycle, including a $50,000 contribution to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC in April.
Disney donated $343,460 during the 2020 election cycle, according to FEC contribution data, including $10,000 contribution to the Warnock Victory Fund during now-Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-Ga.) critical runoff against Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.). Warnock’s victory helped flip the Democrats win control of the Senate that cycle.
The 81-year-old Biden sparked concern last week when he appeared to lose his train of thought, forget words and stare into space during the first presidential debate against Trump last week.
The campaign has acknowledged that it was a bad showing but pushed back on calls that he should drop out, arguing his record over the last three-and-a-half years outweighs his performance in a 90-minute debate.
“We understand it was a bad night. It is not uncommon for incumbents to have a bad night on their first debate. And we are going to continue to do the work that we have been doing on behalf of the American people,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Tuesday press briefing.
The Democratic Party has largely stood behind its leader, but in recent days some have splintered off.
Three House Democrats have called for Biden to step aside since Tuesday. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) told Boston-area radio station WBUR Thursday that Biden should drop out and “let new leaders rise up.”
Some Democrats have been weighing whether Vice President Harris would be a stronger candidate than Biden in the November election, a sentiment Disney echoed in her statement to CNBC.
“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 said.