Vance made a brief trip to Montana to speak to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, AP sources say

WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday made a brief trip to Montana, where he spoke to media mogul Rupert Murdoch; his son Lachlan Murdoch, the head of Fox News and News Corp.; and a group of other Fox News executives, according to two people familiar with the trip.

Vance met with the group at the Murdoch family ranch in southwest Montana near Dillon, according to the people. They confirmed the visit to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

It's not clear why the vice president addressed the group or what they spoke about.

A spokesperson for Fox News Channel did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The vice president’s office does not release a schedule for Vance and did not offer advance notice of the trip, so the surprise arrival of Air Force Two in Butte, Montana, set off local speculation as his motorcade was seen driving away.

The Murdoch ranch near Dillon is roughly 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Butte. The ranch, which Murdoch purchased in 2021, is spread across two valleys and a mountain range and has some 12,000 cattle. It sits near Yellowstone National Park along the Montana-Idaho border.

According to flight restrictions issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, the vice presidential aircraft was only on the ground for a matter of hours.

Vance was scheduled to have lunch with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, according to the president’s publicly released schedule, meaning the vice president presumably returned to Washington shortly after meeting the Murdochs 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers) away on Tuesday night.

Rupert Murdoch and his media organization have long been friendly with Republicans and have, for the most part, had a friendly relationship with Trump. He appeared at Trump’s inauguration and was spotted earlier this year in the Oval Office.

Rupert Murdoch, 94, stepped down as the head of Fox News and News Corp. in 2023 and handed control over to son Lachlan.

Montana state Auditor James Brown told the Montana Talks radio show that he helped Vance's staff arrange the trip.

Brown, who did not respond to a message Wednesday from the AP, said he met the vice president when Vance landed at the airport and then helped escort Vance's entourage on an hourlong drive by driving second lady Usha Vance's staff.

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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.