Here’s a fun fact about JD Vance: Just 22 percent of Republicans want him to be president. That’s not a typo.
The man who’s been anointed as Donald Trump’s heir apparent—the guy Turning Point USA is building an entire 2028 operation around—can’t even crack a quarter of support within his own party.
WHAT’S GOING ON: According to reporting from The New Republic, Trump has privately told his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles “a couple of times” that he knows a third term isn’t happening—despite his supporters openly encouraging him to ignore the Constitution.
That leaves the MAGA movement scrambling to find its next standard-bearer, and somehow Vance is the best they’ve got.
Trump himself has been lukewarm at best, describing his number two as “very capable” and the “most likely” choice to front the 2028 ticket. That’s about as enthusiastic as a participation trophy.
Meanwhile, Erika Kirk—Charlie Kirk’s widow, now running Turning Point USA—formally endorsed Vance at the group’s conference this month, complete with that now-infamous intimate embrace on stage back in October.
BUT BUT BUT: Marco Rubio says he’d back Vance rather than challenge him! Anna Paulina Luna is on board! Sure—but that’s like celebrating that the other passengers on the Titanic have agreed to let you steer.
The real story is buried in that CNN poll: A whopping 64 percent of Republican respondents said they have “no one specific in mind” for 2028. No other GOP figure—not Rubio, not DeSantis—even cracked five percent support.
OF COURSE: Not everyone in MAGA world is ready to hand Vance the crown.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s first-term chief strategist, has been openly advocating for Trump to attempt a third term anyway, claiming Vance is simply “not tough enough” for the job. When Steve Bannon thinks you’re too soft for MAGA, you’ve got a branding problem.
WHY IT MATTERS: The Republican Party is staring at a succession crisis with no clear solution. Their presumptive frontrunner is historically unpopular before he’s even announced a campaign.
Vance’s backers cite his “intelligence” as his key asset—which is MAGA code for “he went to Yale and can explain the cruelty in complete sentences.”
But intelligence isn’t what animates the Trump base. They want spectacle, grievance, and chaos. Vance offers policy-wonk authoritarianism with none of the showmanship.
BOTTOM LINE: The GOP built a cult of personality around one man and now has no idea what comes next. JD Vance is their answer by default—not enthusiasm.
The 2028 race is wide open, and the only thing Republicans seem to agree on is that they haven’t found their guy yet. (SURPRISE: It might be because Trumpism without Trump is just cruelty without the entertainment value.)