'Unpopular positions': Vance tries to win over skeptical GOP megadonors ahead of VP debate

Sen. JD Vance of Ohio in Mesa, Arizona on September 4, 2024 (Gage Skidmore)
Alex Henderson
October 01, 2024Election 2024

This Tuesday, October 1, Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will hold their first — and probably their only — 2024 vice-presidential debate.

Vance has been a very divisive nominee not only among Democrats, but also, among non-MAGA Republicans. Robert Schwartz of Haley Voters for Harris — a group of former Nikki Haley supporters who are now endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris — slammed Vance as a "horrible choice" and told Politico that former President Donald Trump would have been much better off picking Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum or Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin as his running mate.

But Vance, according to New York Times reporters Theodore Schleifer, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, reached out to GOP donors the night before his debate with Walz.

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At a private American Opportunity Alliance event in Manhattan, they report, Vance "addressed some of the party's biggest donors."

"The American Opportunity Alliance, a Wall Street-heavy crowd, includes some major Republican donors who are not yet backing former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Mr. Vance," Schleifer, Haberman and Swan explain. "Others, like Paul Singer, a leader of the group, are on board."

The Times journalists note that Vance "received some credit from some members for having shown up before a group that disagrees with some of his positions on the economy and foreign policy."

"Mr. Vance was asked how the ticket could build a broad coalition and appeal to more moderate Republicans, such as backers of Nikki Haley and Mitt Romney, two people said," Schleifer, Haberman and Swan report. "Mr. Vance expressed a desire to win them back and asked for help. At multiple points, Mr. Vance acknowledged that some of his positions were probably not popular in the room, the people said."

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The reporters continue, "For instance, Mr. Vance defended his position on Ukraine, which is somewhat crosswise with the more interventionist leanings of the donor group, two of the people said…. The Trump-Vance ticket could use support from the group's members in these final weeks. The Republicans' fund-raising has lagged that of Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, which said it raised $55 million over the weekend."

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Read the New York Times' full report at this link (subscription required).