Although the midterm elections are still on the horizon, rumblings over who will run for the White House in 2028 are starting to grow, with Vice President JD Vance saying that President Donald Trump would endorse him if he decided to run for the presidency.
In an interview with the outlet 2WAY on Monday, Oct. 19, the vice president said he had not spoken to Trump about running in 2028, but predicted that he would receive Trump's endorsement.
“I think I would get his endorsement, but I also think there’s something to be said for people actually running their own race,” Vance said. “And because the president’s endorsement is so dispositive, you could absolutely see a scenario where the president says, ‘You know what? We need to let like this race play
out and not preemptively prejudge the results.’”
Despite his prediction, Vance repeated that he was currently focused on the midterm elections, where his party is looking to maintain slim majorities in both the House and Senate.
Trump, on his end, has not weighed in on the 2028 race, but the president called Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio a potential “perfect ticket” during a White House event in May.
“I do believe that’s a dream team, but these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstances,” Trump said. “I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate.”
'Of course there's a chance': Will he or won't he?
In another recent interview, Vance signaled a different intention. During a CBS News town hall on Oct. 18, he said “there’s a chance” he won’t run for president in 2028.
“Of course there’s a chance,” Vance said when asked by "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil if there's a chance he won't run.
"Man, we've got four little kids," Vance said, adding that his wife, second lady Usha Vance, "has never loved politics."
"She loves public service,” Vance said. “I think you know you can do a lot of good in this job, and I’ve tried to do as much good as possible.”
Polls favorable to Vance
Although Vance has not officially said whether he is running for the White House or not, current polling has shown him as a frontrunner among Republicans.
In a new Focaldata/Financial Times poll released Sunday, Oct. 11, Vance led with 38% of Republicans, followed by Rubio at 24%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis receiving 9% of support from GOP respondents.
That performance was only the latest in which the vice president was in a strong position, with Vance leading in polls released by Harvard/HarrisX, McLaughlin & Associates and others by double digits.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vance believes Trump would endorse him if he runs in 2028
