President Trump parades vice presidential candidates at Florida fundraiser
ExpandingWritten by James Oliphant and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump is scheduled to host potential running mate candidates at a Republican event in Florida this weekend, where he will watch potential running mate candidates perform and talk to donors. We plan to have an opportunity to use them in a lottery to collect .
The Republican presidential candidates will convene a two-day training camp in Palm Beach on Friday and Saturday, which is expected to draw more than 400 donors and prominent politicians.
The event will help shore up President Trump's shaky finances, which have been depleted by legal fees, and will attract donors as the president currently spends much of his time in a Manhattan courtroom in a criminal trial. It could be a way to reassure people about the state of the campaign. Hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Vice presidential candidates expected to attend include North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, and J.D. Vance. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, according to a copy of the retreat program obtained by Reuters.
Burgum and Scott dropped out after competing against Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson will also address guests.
“Trump is cleverly using his running mate as a icing on the cake for these events,” said Ford O'Connell, a Republican operative in Florida. “He's trying to use this to raise money and change the news cycle.”
Trump will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the general election on November 5th.
Participants will receive an update on the current state of the campaign from Trump co-campaign managers Chris Lacivita and Susie Wiles, and pollster Tony Fabrizio. They will also receive a briefing on “election integrity.”
Most of the events will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palm Beach, and on Saturday, President Trump will host a fundraising lunch at his Mar-a-Lago mansion.
The retreat was open only to people who raised $25,000 for Trump or couples who raised $100,000, according to the invitation.
Trump is in no hurry to choose a running mate, advisers say. He will not be formally nominated until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July.
Some of Trump's advisers believe Nom's stock has fallen on the president after a new memoir says he once shot his 14-month-old dog because it wouldn't listen to him. Some people are.
President Trump's Save America committee has paid more than $59 million in legal fees since the beginning of 2023, siphoning off funds that could be used for TV ads and other election-related needs.
In addition to the hush money trial, which is expected to last throughout this month, Trump faces federal and state charges over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, as well as federal prosecution over mishandling of classified documents. However, it is unclear whether any of these three lawsuits will go to trial before the election.
Biden has maintained a tenacious lead in fundraising. His campaign reported having about $85 million in the bank at the end of March, compared to Trump's $45 million.
President Trump is scheduled to hold a big-ticket fundraiser in New York on May 14th.
(Reporting by James Oliphant and Steve Holland; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jonathan Oatis)
