Secretive conservative donor group meets to draw up 2024 plans — with a call-in from Trump
Former President Donald Trump spent last week stuck in New York City for the beginning of his hush money trial.
Former President Donald Trump spent last week stuck in New York City for the beginning of his hush money trial. But on Wednesday, between days in court, Trump made time to call into a secretive donor meeting back at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, according to two people involved with the group who were in the room.
The event was hosted by the Rockbridge Network, an under-the-radar, new-age conservative group that sees itself as the leading edge of a changing Republican Party — and is putting tens of millions of dollars into building a fresh infrastructure to support it.
Trump spoke to a room of about 250 attendees who lean more tech-populist than traditional, 20th-century right or left, having gravitated to the former president and the way he has shaken up the Republican Party. Trump was originally slated to be a guest speaker but was unable to attend in person due to his New York trial. Donald Trump Jr. ended up pinch-hitting for his father as one of the star in-person speakers, according to the two people in attendance. Trump’s co-campaign managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, attended as well.
The Trump campaign did not respond to questions about the event.
Rockbridge isn’t yet a brand name in Republican politics, in part because the group has been secretive since its founding in 2019. The exact number of dollars behind the group is also difficult to verify, but one of the sources in attendance last week who is familiar with the group’s operations told NBC News it is in the “high tens of millions.” And while some older GOP donor groups eschew Trump — the Koch network, for example, is staying out of the presidential race after endorsing Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, preferring now to focus down the ballot — Rockbridge is firmly aligned with Trump.
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