Trump speaks at the Economic Club of Chicago on October 15; Vance makes headlines at the suburban fundraiser a day earlier

WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump will travel to downtown Chicago on Oct. 15 for an appearance co-sponsored by the Economic Club of Chicago, while his vice president, JD Vance, will visit the suburbs on Oct. 14 for a fundraiser.

Two sources told the Sun-Times about the Vance Chicago-area fundraiser, but details are still in the works.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was last in Chicago in July to address a meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists in what turned out to be a controversial event where, among other falsehoods, he said that Vice President Kamala Harris had decided to “go black.” .”

Trump returns to Illinois as the race between him and Harris remains close. Trump recently appeared before the New York Economic Club and addressed the Economic Club of Detroit on Thursday. Whether Trump speaks in a swing state like Michigan or in blue states like New York and Illinois, his comments are likely to receive national attention.

The nonpartisan Economic Club of Chicago is co-hosting the event with Bloomberg News. Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait will interview the former president at an undisclosed location in downtown Chicago. Harris has also been invited to speak to the club but has not yet booked a visit.

Trump's visit to Chicago comes at a time when he has been making a number of false claims in his appearances and on social media, most recently focusing on what he falsely describes as the federal government's lack of response to Hurricane Helene. The club did not say in its announcement how or whether Trump would be fact-checked. During his debate with Harris on September 10, Trump criticized ABC News anchors for fact-checking him multiple times.