Trump Said Vance Must Be Elected, Sparking White House Speculation on Succession

U.S. President Donald Trump recently said in a private meeting with donors that Vice President JD Vance must be elected in the 2028 presidential election, the Washington Post reported on the 6th, local time.

Two sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said President Trump met with donors in the White House Oval Office about two weeks ago and stated, "Ultimately, we have to get JD elected."

The WP interpreted this remark as a signal that President Trump is willing to publicly endorse Vice President Vance.

President Trump, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, has previously mentioned Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio together as potential future presidential candidates for the Republican Party.

While some observations suggested that mentioning both figures without singling out a specific person was intended to induce competition for his loyalty, this private remark is interpreted as giving significantly more weight to Vice President Vance.

One adviser to President Trump said that while the president has privately anointed Vice President Vance as the Republican successor, it is still too early to gauge when he will make this public.

Stories are also circulating that President Trump hopes to form a running mate ticket with Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio as presidential and vice-presidential candidates, respectively.

However, other aides drew the line, stating that it is difficult to view President Trump as having definitively chosen Vice President Vance as his successor.

They noted that President Trump sometimes tells different stories depending on who he meets, and his current stance could change at any time.

These aides also anticipated that he would delay an official endorsement as much as possible out of concern that it might make him look like a lame duck.

One official said, "Anyone who thinks this is already set in stone is getting too far ahead of themselves or doesn't know the president well."

Interest within the Republican Party surrounding President Trump's succession lineup is steadily growing.

Donors, activists, and party figures are actively voicing support and opposition regarding Vice President Vance.

Vice President Vance has not yet publicly declared his decision to run.

He previously stated in a media interview that he would discuss whether to run with his wife after the midterm elections.

As the number two in the Trump administration, Vice President Vance appears to be accelerating his steps toward the presidency, including publishing a memoir in June.

Serving as vice president, he has built relationships with party donors to raise funds for the Republican Party and maintains a relatively close relationship with the "MAGA" youth demographic that contributed to President Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election.

An adviser to President Trump said Vice President Vance left a deep impression on the president by playing a role in the process of concluding a memorandum of understanding on ending the war with Iran last June and by leading a federal welfare fraud task force.

Although the peace MOU is currently virtually ineffective, Vice President Vance's side still evaluates the role he played during the negotiation process as a political achievement, according to the WP.

On the other hand, Secretary Rubio, who also serves as the national security advisor, has shown reluctance toward discussions regarding the presidential election and is taking a cautious approach by recently reducing contact with the media, the WP reported.

This contrasts with Vice President Vance, given that Secretary Rubio has not even prepared preliminary organizations in preparation for a potential campaign.

However, speculation remains that a future presidential bid is still open, as Secretary Rubio's side released a video produced in the format of an election campaign featuring Secretary Rubio's remarks from a White House briefing last May, sparking views that he has the presidency in mind.

At the time, Secretary Rubio said, "Our history is a story of continuous progress," adding, "Each generation has handed down more freedom, prosperity, and security to the next generation of Americans, and that is our goal," drawing reactions that it was reminiscent of the message from his 2015 presidential campaign announcement.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.