J.D. Vance Implores Billionaire Peter Thiel to ‘Get Off the Sidelines’ and Back Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, has urged billionaire businessman Peter Thiel to “get off the sidelines” and throw his weight behind their efforts to defeat leftist Kamala Harris.

In an interview with The Financial Times in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin, Vance said that although he recognized that Thiel was tired of politics, things in America will get a lot worse if he doesn’t rally behind their campaign.

“I’m going to keep on talking to Peter and persuading him that — you know he’s obviously been exhausted by politics a little bit — but he’s going to be really exhausted by politics if we lose and if Kamala Harris is president,” Vance explained.

“He is fundamentally a conservative guy, and I think that he needs to get off the sidelines and support the ticket,” he continued.

Thiel has so far declined to comment on the suggestion.

Having helped bankroll Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Thiel said last year that he did not intend to give any money to Republican causes during the 2024 campaign cycle but admitted there’s “always a chance I might change my mind.”

The two men are understood to have a close relationship, with Vance having previously worked at Thiel’s venture capital firm, Mithril Capital.

Thiel was highly influential in Vance’s rise from mere venture capitalist to United States Senator. During the 2022 midterm cycle, Thiel contributed $10 million to a super PAC supporting Vance’s candidacy, which provided crucial funding during the Republican primary, where Vance faced a crowded field.

He also supported other Republican candidates, including Arizona’s Blake Masters and Wyoming’s Harriet Hageman, who was responsible for ousting the treasonous Liz Cheney.

During a recent conversation at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Thiel seemed at best lukewarm about Trump’s candidacy, merely stating that he would ultimately support him over then-candidate Joe Biden.

“If you hold a gun to my head, I’ll vote for Trump,” Thiel said at the time. “I’m not going to give any money to his super PAC.”