Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) used a Financial Times interview to publicly pressure conservative major political donor Peter Thiel to donate to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign.
Vance's ask comes after Thiel — a big supporter of Vance's race for Senate — supported Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters with over $15 million from Thiel, only for him to lose.
As the 2024 election approaches and Trump trails in fundraising dollars, Vance turned to the press at a campaign stop in Wisconsin.
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“I’m going to keep on talking to Peter and persuading him that — you know he’s obviously been exhausted by politics a little bit — but he’s going to be really exhausted by politics if we lose and if Kamala Harris is president,” Vance said.
“He is fundamentally a conservative guy, and I think that he needs to get off the sidelines and support the ticket,” Vance explained.
The report noted that Thiel made it clear last year that he didn't intend to give "any money to Republican politicians in 2024." He said he was disappointed by the Trump presidency.
However, “there’s always a chance I might change my mind," he conceded.
In June, Thiel said, "If you hold a gun to my head I’ll vote for Trump," but wouldn't go beyond that.
Vance worked for Thiel's venture capital firm in California before he ran for office.
