Scoop: Don Jr. to speak ahead of Trump's VP nominee at RNC
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Donald Trump Jr. listens as former President Trump campaigns for Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) in 2022.
Donald Trump Jr. is scheduled to speak right before his father's vice presidential pick at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's the latest sign that former President Trump has zeroed in on Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as a favorite contender to be his running mate, over North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
Zoom in: Trump has been coy about his VP choice, which he'll announce within days.
- But Don Jr. has an been early and vocal booster of Vance, and the convention's speaking order is the clearest indication yet that the 39-year-old senator could have the inside track to being named the GOP's vice presidential nominee.
- "Stop what you're doing and watch this right now if you want to know what America First is all about," Don Jr. posted on X Wednesday, sharing a clip of Vance speaking at a National Conservatism event yesterday.
- Vance and Don Jr. are close friends, a relationship that has grown since Vance joined the U.S. Senate in January 2023.
Zoom out: Vance — a Trump critic-turned-loyalist — is viewed within the GOP as having a talent for articulating the "why" behind Trump's isolationist America First movement, and his ability to connect personally with working-class voters.
- Vance is the author of "Hillbilly Elegy," a personal narrative of his working-class journey. If Trump picks Vance, he could be parked in the three top swing states that Trump's campaign is prioritizing: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
- Of the three top VP contenders, Vance is most ideologically aligned with Trump, and insiders say Trump enjoys being around him.
- Vance has lobbied some of the heaviest hitters in Silicon Valley to back Trump, including setting up a fundraising dinner with tech entrepreneur David Sacks.
The details: The same day Trump's VP choice will address the Republican convention, the nominee is scheduled to host a fundraising reception in Milwaukee called "Strength in Unity."
- The next day, Trump and his VP nominee will host another fundraiser, dubbed the "Freedom First Event," before he formally accepts the GOP's presidential nomination, according to a copy of the event's invitation obtained by Axios.
What they're saying: A person close to Don Jr. cautions that the speaking order has been set for weeks.
- "As President Trump has said himself, the top criteria in selecting a vice president is a strong leader who could make a great president," Brian Hughes, a Trump campaign senior adviser, told Axios.
- "But anyone telling you they know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying unless that person is named Donald J. Trump."
This story has been updated with comments from the Trump campaign.
