For months, the biggest guessing game in Washington has been which lucky contestant would get the golden ticket from Donald Trump as his preferred successor in 2028. Well, according to a new report from Conservative Brief, the mystery appears to be solved, and JD Vance is apparently the chosen one.
Trump had reportedly been going back and forth between his Vice President and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, because apparently choosing a political heir is like picking between two entrees at a restaurant. But multiple anonymous sources say Trump has landed on Vance, with one insider telling the outlet that the vibe has shifted to a very enthusiastic "JD is our guy" energy. Another source revealed that Trump keeps telling people Vance has been looking fantastic lately. High praise from a man who judges everything on aesthetics.
So what sealed the deal? Apparently it was Vance's media blitz promoting his memoir about converting to Catholicism in 2019, titled "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith." The VP went on a charm offensive across every conceivable platform. He showed up on The View, where Ana Navarro literally teased Joy Behar about appearing smitten with him. He popped up on Bill Maher's show, where Maher actually said he might support Vance in 2028. And he made rounds on Fox News and Megyn Kelly's podcast, where he called internal MAGA fighting over Iran policy "very immature." Basically, Vance went on a first date with every media outlet in America, and Trump was impressed by how well he performed.
In perhaps the most on brand detail imaginable, Trump has also been privately complimenting Vance on his weight loss. Apparently Vance and RFK Jr. are both following some sauerkraut heavy diet plan created by a physician named Dr. Sean O'Mara. Nothing says "ready to lead the free world" quite like a fermented cabbage regimen.
But don't go printing the 2028 yard signs just yet. Trump is famously known for changing his mind about people in his orbit faster than most folks change socks. One source noted that Trump was reportedly let down when a U.S. Iran agreement that Vance helped negotiate alongside Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff fell apart earlier this month. There's also apparently some frustration among senior White House staff about Vance's team being obsessively concerned with online chatter. One official said Team Vance is "extremely self conscious" about what random internet commenters say about him, which, honestly, welcome to the internet, sir.
A White House spokeswoman called Vance the president's "right hand man" and highlighted his portfolio of responsibilities, including Iran negotiations, chairing an anti fraud task force, and pushing the SAVE America Act.
As for the supposed Vance versus Rubio rivalry? Both camps insist it's been wildly exaggerated. Rubio has publicly stated he would never pursue the nomination if Vance wanted it, while Vance has called Rubio one of his closest friends. So either they genuinely love each other or someone is getting a really good acting coach.
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