Major donors to Donald Trump’s inaugural committee are having to contribute twice as much to get direct access to him and vice-president-elect JD Vance at private events around the swearing-in ceremony compared with the first inauguration, according to fundraising materials.
The ability to briefly interact with Trump and Vance requires donors to contribute at least $1m to the committee – the highest-tier ticket package – in a marked increase from the previous cycle when the same access cost $500,000.
That top-tier package provides donors and lobbyists seeking to curry favor with the second Trump administration with two tickets to a dinner with the vice president-elect and six tickets to the “candlelight dinner” where Trump will be in attendance.
The increased donation amounts needed to have face time with Trump and Vance reflects the dramatic increase in demand to get on his good side after a divisive election where many deep-pocketed donors stood on the sidelines waiting to see the outcome.
With Trump’s imminent return to the White House and his known personal interest in who has supported him, according to people familiar with the matter, a number of people expected to have business before the federal government have made major donations at the $1m level.
The inaugural committee has raised over $170m and expects to ultimately receive $200m, the people said, meaning the committee is overfunded and has paid for the costs to put on the various receptions, lunches, dinners and balls several times over.
At this late stage, one transition official suggested, it would be a better return on investment for donors to contribute large sums to Trump-allied political action committees rather than make token $100,000 or even $250,000 contributions to the inaugural committee.
“Prospective donors wouldn’t even be noticed – or appreciated – at that level,” the official said, reflecting the consensus view that the situation may be a harbinger of the increased cost of gaining access to Trump or retaining influence in Trumpworld over the next four years.
There are five tiers of ticket packages, according to the fundraising materials – for donating $1m, $500,000, $250,000, $100,000 or $50,000.
To get access to the candlelight dinner with Trump and the vice-president’s dinner with Vance, donors would need to have contributed at the $1m level. A $500,000 contribution would limit access to only the candlelight dinner, unlike in 2017 when it was enough for both.
Promotional materials describe the “candlelight dinner” held at the National Building Museum in Washington as a black-tie dinner attended by Trump and Melania Trump. The vice-president’s dinner is billed as a more intimate black-tie event at the National Gallery of Art.
But even a $1m contribution buys less access than it did at Trump’s first inauguration, where donors got four tickets to a “leadership luncheon” billed as an “exclusive event with select special guests of Cabinet appointees and House and Senate leadership”. There is no such lunch this time.
The reduced schedule suggests that to get deep access with Trumpworld, donors and lobbyists might be better served attending private parties hosted by Trump’s allies that are separate from the official inaugural committee’s packages.
The private parties that are likely to be attended by senior Trump officials include an event co-hosted by allies of Donald Trump Jr allies Jeff Miller and Arthur Schwartz, an event hosted by Turning Point’s Charlie Kirk, an event by Steve Bannon, and an event by the Maga Inc political action committee.
Donors who contribute at lower levels might not get access to events attended by Trump, but they could still get face time with cabinet officials. To get tickets for the cabinet reception, donors can contribute at the lowest tier of $50,000, which interestingly is half of the cost in 2017.