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Disney heiress vows to halt Democratic donations until Biden steps down

Posted on by angelo
Disney heiress vows to halt Democratic donations until Biden steps down

A Disney heiress has threatened to stop all donations to the Democratic Party unless Joe Biden is replaced as the nominee, saying “the stakes are too high.”

Abigail Disney, a longtime Democratic donor, praised the president as “a good man” who has served his country “admirably,” but warned that the GOP will win in November if a change in leadership is not made.

Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O Disney who founded the company with his brother Walt, is the latest figure to speak out publicly about Biden’s resignation, following his disastrous performance in the presidential debate with Donald Trump last week.

The president has said he has no intention of withdrawing from the race, despite multiple calls to do so.

In a statement shared with CNBC, Disney said: “I intend to cease all contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

President Joe Biden has said he has no plans to withdraw from the race, despite calls to do so, following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last week.
President Joe Biden has said he has no plans to withdraw from the race, despite calls to do so, following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last week. (Getty Images)

“This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and he has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high.”

She continued: “If Biden does not resign, the Democrats will lose. I am absolutely certain of that. The consequences of that defeat will be truly disastrous.”

Disney has long supported Democrats and their initiatives, and donated $50,000 to Jane Fonda’s climate action committee in April.

According to OpenSecrets, she gave $150,000 in 2014 to Planned Parenthood Votes, a PAC affiliated with the health care nonprofit. That PAC spent more than $400,000 this election cycle supporting Democrats, including $26,000 for Biden.

Echoing the sentiments of some senior Democrats who spoke to The independent, Disney also cited Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative to Biden, saying she would be able to defeat Trump.

Abigail Disney, a longtime Democratic donor, warned that the GOP would win in November if a change in leadership was not made.
Abigail Disney, a longtime Democratic donor, warned that the GOP would win in November if a change in leadership was not made. (Getty Images)

“We have a great vice president,” she continued, telling CNBC.

“If Democrats would tolerate even a tenth of what they tolerated with Biden (and let’s not kid ourselves about the place of race and gender in this inequality) and if they could find a way to stop dithering and rally behind her, we could win this election by a landslide.”

Questions about Biden’s leadership abilities have been mounting since he faced Trump last week. Biden’s campaign has blamed the 81-year-old president’s poor performance on a cold and jet lag from a busy schedule.

The president also reportedly told a group of Democratic governors that he needed to work fewer hours and sleep more, which includes limiting events after 8 p.m., two people who attended the meeting said. The New York Times.

Disney’s decision to halt its donations follows similar actions by other wealthy Democratic donors, including Gideon Stein, the chairman of the Moriah Fund, and philanthropist Karla Jurvetson.