Vance hosts top-dollar fundraiser ahead of Trump inauguration

Among those in attendance was the president-elect's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is a top friend and political ally of Vance, and who pushed hard last summer for the elder Trump to name Vance, then the junior senator from Ohio, as his running mate on the 2024 Republican Party's national ticket.

A number of Trump mega donors, including billionaire investor John Paulson and tech entrepreneur David Sacks, as well as tech and cryptocurrency titans, also attended, according to the source. 

With Trump term-limited and prevented from running again for re-election in 2028, Vance is seen as the heir-apparent to the president-elect's America First movement and MAGA world of devout supporters. He will likely be considered the frontrunner when the next GOP presidential nomination race formally kicks off following the 2026 midterm elections.

Hosting and headlining top dollar fundraisers that attract the leading donors in Trump's political orbit will likely enhance Vance's position as the politician best equipped to carry on the president-elect's legacy in 2028.

Politico was first to report news of the Vance fundraiser.