JD Vance pitches to Republican mega-donors in New York a day before debate

Ohio Senator JD Vance on Monday evening, a day before his much-awaited vice presidential debate with Tim Walz, made a direct pitch to individuals donating billions to the Republican Party.

In a private dining room at a French restaurant in New York City, Vance addressed some of the biggest donors of the Republican Party, The New York Times reported.

The Republican vice presidential candidate and Donald Trump’s running mate in the upcoming presidential elections, met with the members of the American Opportunity Alliance, according to The New York Times. Vance was interviewed by the head of the conservative think tank Manhattan Institute, Reihan Salam, during a private event.

The American Opportunity Alliance comprises a Wall Street crowd and some major donors to Vance’s party, many of whom, interestingly, are not yet backing Vance or former president Donald Trump. The group also includes famous hedge fund manager, Paul Singer, a known leader of the group. Vance received positive feedback from some members, while others aired their concerns about some of Vance’s position on the economy and foreign policy.

Vance also briefly mentioned the upcoming vice-presidential debate he is going to be participating in, which is also the reason for his presence in New York City. The Republican vice presidential candidate was asked, according to sources, if he would be able to handle his opponent Tim Walz with a straight face on Tuesday night.

In response, Vance pointed to Walz’s tendency to use dramatic gestures and said he would prefer to keep the focus of the debate on issues like borders and immigration, which Vance believes is the Achilles heel for the Democratic pair of Walz and Kamala Harris.

Vance was also joined during the meeting by Usha Vance, his wife, who he said he would credit if he did well during the debate. If the opposite happened, he said, it would be his responsibility alone.

Vance was also questioned about his plans to use his platform to appeal to the more moderate Republicans like Mitt Romney and Nikki Haley. In response, he said he was very interested in winning their support. Vance, on multiple occasions, acknowledged that some of his positions on issues were unpopular, The NYT reported.

Vance, for example, defended his position on Ukraine. His position on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine was more or less aligned with that of the interventionist leanings of the donor group.

Highlighting his recent appearance on podcasts like“Full Send” by the Nelk Boys, Vance admitted that Trump and him were working in tandem to attract young male voters.

Interestingly, Vance last spoke with the group in 2016 during his anti-Trump phase after the publication of his memoir, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’. Notably, after Vance's political stances changed in 2016, several members of the group decided to support Vance’s opponents.

Mr. Vance last spoke to the same audience during his time as an anti-Trump Republican in 2016, after the publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” But after Vance’s political posture changed, several members of the group supported his opponents during Vance’s 2022 run for the Senate..

The fact remains, however, that Vance as well as Trump could stand to benefit from the support of the group and its members in the final few weeks leading up to the November 5 election. The duo is also working on raising more funds after lagging behind Harris' fundraising.