Insiders are revealing JD Vance's strategy for the 2028 presidential race while "diehard MAGA" followers remain skeptical.
Vance has secured his role as "a political Swiss army knife" — a firm ally of President Donald Trump and the administration, according to a Newsweek report published Monday featuring 13 current and former White House advisers, Republicans in Congress, several people in Vance’s inner circle, former Trump campaign aides, GOP donors and other party strategists.
Although Vance has sought to keep the conversation about his hopes for a 2028 presidential run aside, private conversations are showing support of Vance and his role as "heir" to the MAGA movement and allies. Trump has even called a ticket with Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio "unstoppable." Rubio and Vance have reportedly developed a close personal and professional relationship.
Trump's support shows how Vance has positioned himself.
“The skill that’s most prized by the president is the ability to go out and defend and advocate for him and his agenda. Nobody has shown more dexterity in going into the toughest venues than JD,” an unnamed Vance confidant told the outlet.
Vance can handle the tasks at hand, including “sending him out on TV, to a debate, to a foreign country, with JD you don’t have to worry about, ‘Is it going to go well?’ He’s just good. He’s talented, and Trump trusts him,” the source said.
Insiders say that while Vance makes no mention of eyeing the presidency publicly — and even tries to push back on donors interested in supporting his campaign, telling them instead to focus on other Republican races — it appears the plan is working.
“Vance is an intelligent guy and presents himself well. In the [2024 vice-presidential] debate he clearly got the best of Tim Walz,” David Pepper, a former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, told Newsweek.
Pepper described how “there are few people I’ve ever witnessed in politics who are more frustrating and disturbing to watch." And Vance is “clearly someone who will say and do whatever he needs to do to get ahead. At this point, getting ahead means [defending] whatever terrible thing Trump has just done. And he has no shame in doing it.”
But MAGA isn't fully convinced, according to the report. They still remember Vance calling himself a "Never Trump guy" and criticizing the president and "wondered in a private message if Trump could be 'America’s Hitler.'" Vance later said he was wrong and supports the president.
"Even if Vance received Trump’s endorsement, Republicans who spoke to Newsweek voiced doubts that Vance could win over Trump voters who’ve never gotten over his past criticisms of the president," sources tell the outlet.
“Vance called Trump Hitler and said he was a terrible person,” said another former Trump campaign official. “That was just a bridge too far. That wasn’t an assessment of style. I just don’t know that you can change your mind on something like that.”