Politics
President Trump Telling Allies He Wants JD Vance to Lead Republican Party in 2028
President Donald Trump is reportedly telling allies behind closed doors that he wants Vice President JD Vance to carry the Republican torch into the 2028 election.
According to a report The Washington Post published on Thursday, August 6, two sources familiar with the remarks explained that during a private Oval Office meeting roughly two weeks ago, President Trump stated, “At the end of the day, we need to elect JD.”
Per the report, a presidential adviser with direct knowledge of comments Trump made to donors said that Trump has privately settled on Vance, 42, as his chosen successor to lead the GOP, though the adviser cautioned it’s still “too early” to nail down a timeline for any campaign announcement or public endorsement.
Not everyone close to Trump is convinced it’s a done deal, however. According to the outlet, six other allies and advisers remain skeptical that Trump has truly made up his mind, noting he has a habit of telling different people different things and could easily change course.
Trump, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term despite repeatedly speaking about a 2028 run, has also continued promoting the idea of Secretary of State Marco Rubio joining Vance on a future presidential ticket, per the report. It remains unclear, however, whether Rubio has any interest in serving as Vance’s running mate.
When asked by Fox News‘ Sean Hannity back in November 2025 about a possible 2028 run, Vance said, “I would say that I’ve thought about what that moment might look like after the midterm elections, sure, but I also, whenever I think about that, I try to put it out of my head and remind myself the American people elected me to do a job right now. And my job is to do it.”
In June, the vice president told CBS Sunday Morning, “I have no doubt that the president of the United States is going to be very supportive of anything that I ultimately decide to do. But we really just haven’t talked about what that thing will be.”
For now, neither Trump nor Vance has publicly committed to a 2028 campaign, leaving the party’s long term leadership an open question even as speculation continues to build.
