Vance appears at secretive donor summit as 2028 presidential speculation grows
JD Vance headlined a closed-door gathering for the spring summit of the Rockbridge Network, a secretive donor group that Vance co-founded in 2019 during his stint as a private investor.
Nashville, Tennessee — A line snaked around the first floor of the posh Four Seasons hotel in Nashville Monday evening as wealthy conservative donors eagerly waited their turns to ride an elevator upstairs to hear a special guest speak: the vice president of the United States.
Vance's remarks focused on his role leading President Trump's new anti-fraud task force, as well as the fast-approaching 2026 midterm elections and the challenge for Republicans to keep both chambers of Congress, the source told CBS News.
The vice president's appearance at the Rockbridge conference comes as wealthy Republicans gird for an anticipated blue wave in the midterms. Political groups aligned with Mr. Trump are expected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the next eight months.
But looming over the multi-day event was also speculation about a different election — the 2028 presidential contest. Fifty-three percent of respondents at the Conservative Political Action Conference last weekend said Vance was their preferred candidate in the 2028 Republican primary. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earned 35% support in the CPAC survey, coming in second place.
Rockbridge members are "the people that will be rallying around JD, and they want to back JD," said one conservative venture capitalist, granted anonymity to discuss Rockbridge.