JD Vance Fundraises with Woman Tied to Project 2025 as Trump Distances Himself

Ohio Senator and vice-presidential nominee JD Vance attended a fundraiser with one of Project 2025’s key backers Tuesday, despite former president Donald Trump distancing himself from the conservative policy document.

Brooke Rollins, the CEO of the America First Policy Institute, was one of the hosts of the luncheon in Austin, Texas.

The Democratic Party said that, by attending, Vance was confirming that the Trump campaign was taking policy advice from Project 2025.

“JD Vance is continuing to embrace a dangerous, anti-choice agenda today at a fundraiser in Texas with a Project 2025 architect whose organization is ‘helping to implement’ the Project 2025 agenda that includes a national abortion ban, with or without Congress,” DNC Spokesperson Aida Ross said in a statement.

“While women’s lives are on the line in Texas as a result of MAGA Republicans’ extreme ban, the Trump-Vance ticket is showing the American people that, if given the chance, they’ll put our basic rights at risk and rip away our reproductive freedom.”

The 900-plus-page document was revealed last year, but only really came to light earlier in the summer as a potential agenda for a second Trump presidency.

Although not released by the Republican National Committee, it was written by many known associates of the former president, including Rollins who worked as his domestic policy chief.

“It’s not just about 2025. It’s about ’29 and ’33 and ’37,” Rollins said of the agenda earlier this month.

It includes plans for a much smaller federal government while expanding the executive branch’s power. Big shifts in social policies, such as LGBTQ+ rights, as well as restrictions on healthcare, including reproductive health.

Vice President Kamala Harris brought up the document during the presidential debate on September 10, calling it a “details and dangerous” plan that Trump would implement.

“I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it, purposely. I’m not going to read it,” Trump claimed in response.

He has also said he would welcome the plan’s demise and has made other attempts to distance himself from it.

While some conservatives have praised Project 2025 as a way to recharge the far-right of American politics, other politicians have warned it is a ploy to dismantle U.S. democracy.

Polling released over this past weekend showed voters were largely against the document, with just 4 percent viewing it favorably.

Vance was also due to attend two other events in Texas on Tuesday, including a private dinner in Dallas.

In a statement to Newsweek Tuesday evening, the Trump campaign insisted it was only the former president and his campaign who represented policy for a second term.

“President Trump personally led the effort to establish 20 promises made to the forgotten men and women across our nation, as well as RNC Platform—these are the only policies endorsed by President Trump for a second term,” Danielle Alvarez, Trump Campaign Senior Advisor, said. “Dangerously liberal Kamala Harris and the DNC are LYING and fear-mongering because they have NOTHING else to offer the American people.

“Remember these are the same people that lied to Americans and hid Joe Biden’s cognitive decline all these years, and are currently lying about Kamala Harris serving as the border czar, being responsible for out-of-control inflation, and failure across on every front.”