Vice President JD Vance is ramping up his campaign schedule ahead of next month’s midterm elections, but some Republicans are already warning he could be left holding the bag if the party suffers heavy losses.
A GOP official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss campaign strategy, told MS NOW that Vance “will be on the campaign trail just as much as the president” this fall, with both men “equally as involved” in efforts to drive turnout among supporters who might otherwise stay home.
That shared responsibility comes with risk, and a Republican operative working on Senate campaigns warned that if Republicans lose badly in November and Vance moves forward with a 2028 bid, “you’ve got a future presidential candidate who owns a lot of this.”
The operative noted that Vance faces an uphill battle simply being heard over his boss, saying Trump’s “megaphone is just 10 times larger than what Vance is saying or doing.”
“He’s got one of the toughest jobs in politics, often translating what the president is saying or doing,” the GOP operative said. “I think he’s done that well. It’s not easy. It’s just a question of whether that connects with midterm voters.”
A national Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll conducted from late August through early September found 53 percent of independents view Vance unfavorably, compared with just 29 percent who see him favorably. Even in his home state of Ohio, Vance’s favorability is underwater.
Robert Alexander, the political science professor who directed polling for the survey, didn’t mince words when asked whether Vance could lift down-ballot Republicans in Ohio.
“I don’t think people are talking about JD Vance at all,” Alexander said. “I just don’t think he’s got a lot of juice, per se.”
According to the GOP official, Trump and Vance are being deployed strategically to avoid locations where polling suggests their presence could hurt local candidates.
Vance polls as an early front-runner for the 2028 Republican nomination, but some Trump supporters interviewed by MS NOW sounded more enthusiastic about Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing him as “dynamic,” “charismatic,” and having “more pizzazz” than the vice president.
Vance has tried to broaden his appeal with appearances on ABC’s “The View,” HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” and Joe Rogan’s podcast, where he was pressed on the war with Iran, immigration and the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Meanwhile, Trump’s approval ratings sit at an all-time low four weeks ahead of Election Day.