Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington emailDonald Trump’s formidable fundraising machine is strategically diverting a portion of its substantial donations to JD Vance’s political action committee, a move that could significantly bolster the vice president’s future political aspirations and perhaps signal tacit support from the president to be his successor.Recent fundraising emails from Trump, alongside the donation portal on his official website, automatically allocate five percent of their total donation to Vance’s “Working for Ohio” PAC, NBC News reports. This arrangement has already yielded considerable returns, with the committee receiving $245,000 in May and June alone, according to campaign finance disclosures.This injection of cash is particularly beneficial for Vance, who dedicates much of his political efforts to fundraising for the Republican National Committee, where he serves as finance chair. Crucially, the setup also provides Vance’s political committee with invaluable data on active Trump donors – information that could prove instrumental in a future White House campaign, especially as his own PAC has previously been less active.The arrangement was quietly established in the spring, following Trump’s appointment of Vance to his RNC finance role, sources familiar with the details told NBC News. The primary objective was to ensure Vance’s committee had sufficient funds for staffing and operational costs, given his primary focus on national party fundraising.At 41 years old, Vance, who is first in line to the presidency, is widely considered a leading contender for the Republican nomination in 2028. Consequently, any political maneuvers involving him attract scrutiny regarding his potential ambitions.Vice President JD Vance looks on as President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office, Trump’s fundraising machine has been channeling money to Vance’s political action committee (Getty Images)Trump, a prolific fundraiser, employs a sophisticated network of “joint fundraising committees” to channel political donations to different allied groups. These federal campaign finance vehicles act as central hubs, collecting donations before distributing funds to smaller, affiliated committees. The allocation of these funds is determined by Trump’s political orbit, adhering to campaign finance regulations.One such entity, the Trump National Committee JFC Inc., currently divides contributions among Trump’s own leadership PAC, “Never Surrender,” the Republican National Committee (RNC), and Senator J.D. Vance’s “Working for Ohio” initiative.The current distribution reportedly sees 77.5 percent of all money raised by the joint fundraising committee directed to Trump’s group, with 17.5 percent allocated to the RNC and five percent to Vance’s organization. Trump’s political team retains the flexibility to adjust this allocation formula at any time.Those claiming to be familiar with the fundraising split clarified to NBC that Trump’s approval should not be interpreted as an endorsement of a Vance presidential bid, but rather as a measure to prevent Vance’s political operations from stagnating while his priorities lie elsewhere.However, responding to a reporter’s question at the White House last month, Trump acknowledged that he views Vance as his “most likely” heir apparent, though he has been careful to limit his praise.Trump also suggested that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “somebody that would maybe get together with JD in some form.”He added: “It’s too early obviously to talk about it, but certainly he’s doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point,” referring to Vance.In 2028, the president will be term-limited per the Constitution and will also be 82 years old. Vance will be 44 years old, and if elected president, would be the third youngest-ever, after Theodore Roosevelt and John F Kennedy.
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Trump is kicking some of his fundraising money to Vance — has he picked a successor?
