Vice President JD Vance stated on Monday that he is uncertain whether President Donald Trump would endorse him "right out the gate" if he enters the 2028 presidential race. The comments, made during an interview with journalist Mark Halperin on the platform 2Way, highlight a potential complication for Vance's future White House ambitions as the midterm elections approach. VANCE CONFRONTED ABOUT 2028 AMBITIONS AFTER TRUMP TEASES 'DREAM TEAM' RUBIO TICKET
Vance emphasized that his immediate priority is maintaining Republican control of Congress in the upcoming midterms. While he did not confirm a 2028 run, he asserted, "I think if I run, the president will endorse me." When Halperin pressed on whether that support would be immediate, Vance replied, "I would think so, but I don't know, man. I haven't talked to him about it."
The vice president rejected Halperin's suggestion that it would be "weird" for Trump to withhold an endorsement after learning of Vance's intentions. Instead, Vance argued that it is reasonable for a candidate to run their own race without preemptively prejudging the results. He noted that Trump's endorsement is "dispositive" because it signals to voters that a candidate is not beholden to party elites, a distinction Vance believes gives Trump's support more weight than any other political endorsement in history.
Vance previously claimed that whoever Trump endorses will ultimately win the Republican primary, a view he attributed to Trump's unique relationship with voters who initially rejected him despite elite opposition. "That's the person they say, 'Okay, if Trump is with a guy, that must mean that the elites are against that guy,'" Vance said. He acknowledged that voters will ultimately decide the outcome, noting that Trump is "only one vote of many," but maintained that his endorsement remains the most powerful.
This uncertainty follows earlier remarks by Trump, who described Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a "dream team" at a May Rose Garden Club event. Trump has since refused to specify who would lead the ticket in a potential 2028 matchup between the two. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.