A text message sent by Vice President JD Vance on behalf of the Republican National Committee urged people not to donate if they couldn't afford groceries.
The fundraising text sent in the Vice President's name told recipients: 'If you can't give right now, don't. Groceries cost what they cost.'
The message was shared on Tuesday by The Washington Post's White House reporter Natalie Allison.
It read: 'If you can't give right now, don't, Natalie. Groceries cost what they cost. But can you answer this for me?' It then included a fundraising link and was signed 'JD Vance.'
The appeal then offered an unusually frank admission about the Republican Party's finances.
'Now the part I owe you honesty about,' the message said.
'The Republican National Committee needs money. That's true of every party committee, and anyone who tells you otherwise is doing the exact thing I just apologized for. So I'm not going to dress it up.'
But Vance's appeal was careful not to pressure supporters who were struggling financially.
JD and Usha Vance in a recent post from Usha's Instagram
The Republican National Committee's fundraising text sent in the Vice President's name told recipients: 'If you can't give right now, don't. Groceries cost what they cost'
Vice President JD Vance uses his cell phone in the Rose Garden on May 11
'If you can't give right now, don't. Groceries cost what they cost. I'm not going to make you feel guilty over a number,' it said.
'But if you want to back it up, I'd be honored to earn it — and you ought to be able to see exactly where it goes.'
The message pointed recipients to an itemized 'receipt' showing where their contribution would go.
Democrats were quick to seize on the Vice President's words, using the grocery-price reference to attack the Trump-Vance administration over the cost of living.
The Democratic National Committee claimed Americans had paid $310 more for groceries during Donald Trump and Vance's first year in office than they did in 2024, and argued that food prices remain higher than when Trump returned to the White House.
DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer accused the administration of making life increasingly unaffordable for American families.
'The Trump-Vance administration has sent grocery prices skyrocketing, making life unaffordable for everyday Americans, and Vance is turning a blind eye to the hardship of American families,' Witmer said.
She also blamed the administration's policies, including tariffs and its foreign policy, for putting additional pressure on household budgets.
The latest federal figures, however, paint a more mixed picture.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that prices for food purchased for home consumption were 2.7 percent higher in July 2026 than a year earlier
Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that prices for food purchased for home consumption were 2.7 percent higher in July 2026 than a year earlier.
But grocery prices actually fell 0.1 per cent between June and July, a small single-month decline suggesting a more complex picture.
Some staples have also moved in different directions.
Egg prices, for example, have fallen recently, while beef has become considerably more expensive.
As of the latest Federal Election Commission filings available July 31, 2026, the RNC reported approximately $130.4 million in cash on hand, while the DNC, in its latest filing covering activity through June 30, 2026, reported $16.33 million.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Vice President's team for comment.
