Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Ambassador Nikki Haley are headed to Las Vegas for a Republican Jewish Coalition conference, another in a series of early moves by each to lay the foundation for a possible 2024 presidential bid.
President Trump is headlining the RJC’s annual leadership gathering, set for March 13-15. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and several other prominent Republicans also are expected as the GOP prepares for November.
Forging relationships with RJC members could pay dividends in the party’s next contested White House primary. Many who attend the group’s annual gatherings are influential Jewish Republicans who contribute millions to GOP campaigns and causes.
“It’s one of those must-do events,” said a Republican operative who advised a GOP presidential candidate in 2016. “Sheldon [Adelson] is a big part of the RJC, and so, any candidate who is looking to curry favor with the single biggest donor in Republican politics is going to be there.”
Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate hosting the RJC conference this month at properties he owns on the Las Vegas strip, is a top Republican donor and a member of the group’s board of directors.
The RJC has matured into a formidable organization. Invitations to the group’s annual events are coveted by rising Republican politicians, especially presidential candidates. During the crowded 2016 primary, the RJC had to space out appearances by the various candidates at multiple events because the demand to address the group and press the flesh with members was so great.
The group, initially suspicious of Trump, has become a strong supporter because of actions he has taken in the Middle East. Trump moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal, and recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights.
Accordingly, the RJC is investing $10 million this year to boost support for Trump among Jewish voters in key battlegrounds such as South Florida.
Republican VIPs on the guest list for the mid-March gathering include Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, plus Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Martha McSally of Arizona, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and David Perdue of Georgia.
