NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President JD Vance has been tapped to serve as a top fundraiser at the Republican National Committee in another sign that he is cementing his status as the torchbearer of President Donald Trump 's "Make America Great Again" movement.
It is the first time in the RNC's history that a sitting vice president has held the position of finance chair, giving Vance a prominent, direct role in next year's midterm elections and helping him build ties with top Republican donors. Vance headlined numerous fundraisers during the 2024 campaign, making the job an extension of those efforts.
In a statement, Vance said that, “to fully enact the MAGA mandate and President Trump’s vision that voters demanded, we must keep and grow our Republican majorities in 2026." He will focus, he said, on building "the war chest we need to deliver those victories next November.”
The appointment is the latest demonstration of how Vance is being embraced by many in Trump's orbit as his heir apparent more than three years before the 2028 election. The U.S. Constitution bars Trump from running for a third term, though he has repeatedly teased the prospect of remaining in office nonetheless.
An open GOP primary will likely draw a long list of ambitious contenders. But several of the party's most prominent voices have been openly pushing Vance.
"The only person in the entire Republican Party, from my position, who's capable of carrying on the Trump legacy and expanding it, making it what it should fully be, is JD Vance," conservative commentator and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said in a podcast interview released this week.
“There’s no one else," he went on. “I don’t see any other — at this point, as of today — any other conceivable option. I think JD Vance will be the nominee.”
During an appearance Monday night in Wisconsin, Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who has his own loyal following, called Vance "the only impressive vice president of my lifetime." He talked up his decision to back Vance — a personal friend — first in the Ohio GOP Senate primary, and then convincing his father to choose Vance as his running mate.
“When I went in all for JD for VP, I was up against every billionaire Republican donor. I used up my political capital with my father ‘til like 2079," he joked. “I will be dead and I will still have not caught back up. But it was the right call.”
Trump, however, has been noncommittal.
Asked by Bret Baier during his Super Bowl interview whether he views Vance as his successor, Trump responded: “No. But is he very capable. I mean, I don’t think that, you know, I think you have a lot of very capable people. So far, I think he is doing a fantastic job. It’s too early. We are just starting."
Vance has taken on a prominent role in the early days of the new administration, most notably during an explosive Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which he accused the Ukrainian leader of being "disrespectful." He also blasted Europe during a speech last month at the Munich Security Conference, saying he feared free speech was "in retreat" across the continent.
His domestic portfolio has included helping Trump's Cabinet picks win Senate confirmation and working to secure a deal for a new operator for TikTok in the U.S.
“JD will do a fantastic job as RNC Finance Chair,” Trump said in a statement. “He knows how to fight and win tough races. I’m glad he’ll be working with Michael Whatley to help us secure our elections, get out the vote, and win big next year!”
___
Credit: AP
Credit: AP