Trump to hold Cincinnati fundraiser with Sen. J.D. Vance amid vice president rumors

Former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will fundraise in Cincinnati this month as speculation swirls over whether the former president will tap Vance as his running mate.

Trump is slated to headline the May 15 "lunch discussion" that features Vance as a special guest, according to an invitation obtained by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. Attendees must contribute $50,000 each or $100,000 per couple, which will go toward a joint fundraising committee that includes Trump's campaign, the RNC and several state GOP groups − including Ohio's.

The exact location of the event, first reported by NBC News, is unknown.

Vance, who garnered fame for his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022 after securing Trump's endorsement during a chaotic primary. The Cincinnati Republican is now one of Trump's closest allies, even though he was once an outspoken critic of the former president. The two last appeared in Ohio together at a rally for Bernie Moreno, who will take on Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall.

Vance is widely considered to be on the short list for Trump's vice president, along with South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. In a recent Fox News interview, Ohio's junior senator dismissed the rumors as "media speculation" and said he hasn't talked to Trump about the job.

"Of course if he asked me, I'd have to think seriously about it because I think it's really important that he win," Vance said. "The world is on fire, and I sort of see Donald Trump as a bit of a fireman."

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: JD Vance to raise money with Donald Trump in Ohio amid VP speculation