JD Vance to Address Major Republican Donors Just Before Debate

As part of his trip to New York City for the vice-presidential debate next week, Mr. Vance will speak to the American Opportunity Alliance, a network of major G.O.P. contributors.

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JD Vance to Address Major Republican Donors Just Before Debate | INFBusiness.com

Senator JD Vance of Ohio at a campaign event in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday. He has taken on the lion’s share of fund-raising for the Trump campaign since becoming the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

The Republican vice-presidential nominee, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, is scheduled to speak to a conference of major Republican donors in New York next week, according to two people briefed on the matter.

As part of his trip to New York City for Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate, Mr. Vance will address the American Opportunity Alliance, the network of major G.O.P. contributors that includes billionaire investors like Paul Singer, Ken Griffin and Warren Stephens. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the event is private.

The conference runs from Monday night through Tuesday, and Mr. Vance is expected to speak on Monday, one of the people said, just before he squares off against his Democratic rival, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, in New York on Tuesday evening.

The A.O.A. meets twice a year, and this past spring the group hosted one of Mr. Trump’s top advisers, Susie Wiles, alongside the campaign manager for Nikki Haley, who was then running against him in the presidential primary. The network prides itself on being decentralized: Some members of the group, such as Linda McMahon and Mr. Singer, have donated millions to support Mr. Trump. Others, such as Mr. Griffin, have held out.

Still, the organization is not a natural constituency for Mr. Trump — or Mr. Vance. Mr. Vance’s views on trade and foreign policy are crosswise with the donor network, which tends to emphasize free markets and a more muscular posture on national security. The network is populated by many heavy hitters from Wall Street and from the pro-Israel community. And some members of the group — such as Mr. Griffin — opposed Mr. Vance’s nomination as Mr. Trump’s running mate, The New York Times has reported.

But Mr. Vance has a chance to win over those skeptics. He has relationships in the finance community from his few years in venture capital, and he has taken on the lion’s share of fund-raising work for the campaign since his selection this summer, traveling the country regularly.

Mr. Vance has been studying carefully for his debate against Mr. Walz, enlisting Tom Emmer, the Republican congressman from Minnesota, to engage with him in mock sessions. So it is somewhat surprising that Mr. Vance would break from that focus to cultivate donors on the cusp of the debate.

Then again, the Trump campaign could use financial help. Mr. Trump is being badly out-raised by Ms. Harris, and he and his allies are being outspent significantly by Ms. Harris and her allies on television and digital platforms.

A correction was made on Sept. 26, 2024: 

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly identified JD Vance’s debate opponent. He will debate Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, not Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Theodore Schleifer is a Times reporter covering campaign finance and the influence of billionaires in American politics. More about Theodore Schleifer

See more on: J.D. Vance, Donald Trump, 2024 Elections: News, Polls and Analysis

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