Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s mentor, billionaire Peter Thiel, has expressed hesitancy to donate to ex-President Donald Trump’s campaign, according to a report by The New York Times published on Saturday.
Trump, the GOP’s presidential nominee, officially unveiled Vance as his vice-presidential choice earlier this month at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Thiel, a Republican and co-founder of PayPal, established a relationship with Vance back in 2011 when Vance, transitioning from a student to an Ohio senator, met Thiel after a speech at Yale Law School. Their bond grew stronger over the years, with Thiel mentoring Vance as he ventured into the world of capital investment. Vance eventually partnered with Thiel in 2015, as per reports from Politico.
In early 2021, Thiel introduced Vance to Trump. Since then, Thiel has shown his support for Vance, privately advocating for Trump to choose him as his running mate, according to The New York Times.
In an interview with the publication on Friday, Thiel, one of Trump’s key early supporters in 2016, discussed his backing for Trump and Vance’s White House bid. However, when asked about potential donations to Trump’s campaign or affiliated groups, Thiel mentioned being “disinclined” to do so, suggesting that Trump didn’t require his financial support.
Thiel elaborated, saying he had previously stated his reluctance to contribute to super PACs and intended to stand by that decision. He expressed confidence that Trump and Vance would secure a significant victory, estimating a 4-5% lead in the popular vote. Thiel was of the opinion that the election outcome was already decided, irrespective of contributions from him or Democratic donors.
Thiel did not donate to Trump’s reelection campaign in 2020 but had donated just over $1 million in 2016.
As per The New York Times, Thiel acknowledged that Trump’s first term fell short of expectations but expressed hope that a potential second term would fare better. He had been a significant individual donor for the GOP in the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections, contributing over $35 million to around 16 GOP candidates for federal elections.
Following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race and endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate, Harris’ campaign swiftly raised $126 million, as reported in a memo from Harris for President Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon. Trump managed to raise almost $112 million in June, according to Politico.
An attempted assassination on Trump at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, could prompt substantial donations. While Trump sustained an ear injury, a rally attendee was killed, and two others wounded before the suspect was shot dead by Secret Service counter-snipers.
Reports suggest Trump might be reconsidering his choice of Vance as his running mate following Biden’s exit and endorsement of Harris.
Vance’s approval ratings have faced challenges, with poll numbers indicating a net-negative favorable rating post-convention. CNN’s senior data reporter Harry Enten highlighted Vance’s rating at -6 points, marking him as the first non-incumbent VP nominee post-convention with a negative favorability rating since 1980.
Trump’s communications spokesperson, Steven Cheung, refuted claims that Trump was second-guessing his VP selection. Thiel, on the other hand, lauded Vance’s qualities, describing him as intelligent, charismatic, rational, and fundamentally good, emphasizing the difficulty in finding someone embodying all those traits.