The race for Disney CEO got a lot more complicated with Donald Trump’s election victory over Kamala Harris. Former Disney CEO frontrunner Dana Walden is now viewed by many as a great risk that might exacerbate an already tense relationship between Disney and the incoming president.
Donald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States of America on January 20, 2025. It’s believed that sometime before the end of 2025, Disney will name the successor to CEO Bob Iger. The search, spearheaded by former Morgan Stanley Chairman James Gorman had reportedly been eyeing a number of internal candidates to fill the roll.
HULU ON DISNEY+ CELEBRATION – Some of the biggest stars across The Walt Disney Company celebrate the official launch of Hulu on Disney+ at an exclusive cocktail reception hosted by Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with special guest Bob Iger, on Friday evening in Los Angeles. (Disney/Greg Williams)
DANA WALDEN (CO-CHAIRMAN, DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY), ROBERT A. IGER (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY), ALAN BERGMAN (CO-CHAIRMAN, DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY)
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These include:
- Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden
- Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Alan Bergman
- ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pataro
- Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products head Josh D’Amaro
However, according to Newsweek, Trump’s victory could make Walden a liability.
Rachel Zegler as Snow White in Snow White (2025), Walt Disney Studios
Disney has a major problem on its hands in reaching conservative families. The company has been unabashedly left wing in recent years, despite Bob Iger’s insistence that Disney has nothing to do with politics and doesn’t express political views.
The Walt Disney company has embraced so-called “woke ideology,” making sweeping changes to classic elements of its films and theme parks in the name of political correctness. Here are just a few of Disney’s actions from the last few years that caused conservative families to sour on the once beloved studio:
- Race-swapping popular characters like Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Snow White in Snow White for live action remakes
- Casting a biological man to play The Evil Queen for a Snow White dinner package
- Firing and publicly condemning Star Wars actress Gina Carano after she shared a meme on social media commenting on how conservatives are treated in the US
- Offering no comment or condemnation when Snow White actress Rachel Zegler wished harm or misfortune on Trump and his supporters
- Voicing opposition to the Florida Parental Rights in Education Bill which made a major enemy of Florida governor Ron DeSantis and lost Disney their Reedy Creek special governing district
- Eliminating classic attractions like Tom Sawyer Island that focus on American history
- Allowing daytime talkshow The View to launch into daily diatribes against Trump and the Republican Party
- Replacing Splash Mountain with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Walt Disney World and Disneyland due to perceived “problematic” elements
But perhaps the single largest impediment to an America where President Trump and Disney can coexist peacefully came from the first debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, which aired on Disney-owned ABC. The moderators were openly hostile to the former president, and fact checked him all evening while giving no such treatment to his opponent.
Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention 2024 via New York Post YouTube
“I thought it was terrible from the standpoint of ABC,” Trump said during an interview on Fox & Friends following the debate. “They are the most dishonest, in my opinion, the most dishonest news organization.”
Trump also said that the Disney-owned ABC had “lost a lot of credibility,” claiming that the network “took a big hit” and “should be embarrassed.” He also noted a belief that the network should lose its broadcasting license.
That’s not something a news network wants to hear from the incoming president of the United States.
And, of course, the head of the network, as Trump was quick to point out, is Dana Walden.
Kamala Harris. Dana Walden via Variety YouTube
The co-chair of Disney entertainment is very close friends with Harris, which Trump pounced on after the debate. He described Walden as Harris’s best friend, alluding to a major conflict of interest.
The Walden family has a long history with Kamala Harris, with the vice president noting that Dana and her husband Matt Walden were in many ways responsible for her marriage to Doug Emhoff. The Waldens also held a major democratic party fundraiser at their home in 2022.
Newsweek now believes that Walden’s association with Harris could make the company even more of a target in Trump’s eyes.
“Under Trump’s presidency, the Florida situation could ramp up dramatically,” Mike Fahey, CEO and founder of Fahey Communications, a national PR firm specializing in political campaigns, said in an interview with Newsweek. “Disney straddles a precarious line between the expectations of its employees, the interests of its shareholders and the kinds of political shenanigans that corporations might wish to stay out of. It may not be possible for Disney to stay out of it too much longer because Trump is pushing local issues like Reedy Creek to the national level.”
Dana Walden via Variety YouTube
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He goes on to note how Dana Walden as Disney CEO could open the company up to retaliation from the new president.
“Walden’s friendship with Harris could, indeed, make her a target in the new Trump administration,” Fahey said. “I would imagine that Disney’s board will undoubtedly take this potential political friction into account when they are figuring out what to do with Iger’s succession.”
There are reports from Disney insiders right now that state the company is trying to regulate its brand messaging to reach out to conservative families again. Some say that the company might even go as far as to add pro-Trump conservative voices to shows like The View.
A screenshot of the hosts of the View discussing politics – YouTube, The View
“Disney will need to balance their brand values with the political climate if they’re going to sustain stakeholder trust and keep their brand equity high,” Fahey said. “Maintaining a steady course amid politically charged discussions will be essential to protecting its image on both a national and global stage.”
Do you think Dana Walden still has a chance at becoming Disney CEO? Would that move be positive or negative for the House of Mouse? Sound off and let us know your thoughts!
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