Well, well, well. The 2028 cat is officially clawing its way out of the bag.
President Donald Trump apparently spilled the beans behind closed doors, telling a group of donors exactly who he wants sitting in the Oval Office after him. Spoiler alert: it's the guy already living at the Naval Observatory. According to this bombshell report, Trump told supporters during a private meeting roughly two weeks ago that "we need to elect JD," referring to Vice President JD Vance. The Washington Post originally broke the story.
Now here's where things get spicy. While Trump has lavished praise on both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly, this behind-the-scenes endorsement is by far his most direct signal yet about who should carry the GOP torch into the next presidential cycle.
Vance currently leads virtually every early Republican primary poll. Meanwhile, Rubio keeps saying he'd back his buddy if Vance jumps into the race. But Trump's consistent compliments toward Rubio have kept speculation swirling about whether a rivalry might brew between the two allies.
At a donor gathering in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Trump once again showered his VP with accolades, highlighting Vance's leadership on combating government fraud. When pressed about all the 2028 chatter during a Fox News appearance the same day, Vance played it cool, insisting that executing the president's agenda remains his sole focus right now.
Trump has also been glowing about Rubio's diplomatic work, crediting him with spearheading negotiations involving Venezuela, Cuba, and the Middle East. Earlier this year, the president boldly predicted Rubio could become the most consequential secretary of state ever. He even teased a potential Vance and Rubio ticket, calling that combination "unstoppable," though he conveniently never specified who would top it.
Remember that rescheduled White House Correspondents Dinner last month? Trump cranked up the rumor mill by cracking jokes about running for a fourth term while showing off Trump 2028 merchandise. Classic.
Behind the scenes, the chess pieces are already moving. Vance has quietly assembled a team of advisers widely believed to form the backbone of a national campaign operation after the midterms. Rubio, by contrast, hasn't built anything comparable on the political infrastructure front.
Vance's star within the party has also been supercharged by his role as RNC finance chairman. Under his watch, the committee's war chest ballooned past $128 million according to its June FEC filing. RNC Chair Joe Gruters called him a "fundraising powerhouse" who has hosted record-shattering events nationwide.
But not everyone is playing nice. Reports indicate that some Republican donors have been quietly working to boost Rubio's national profile, which has reportedly ticked off people in Trump's inner circle. One GOP operative close to the president's political orbit dismissed those efforts, calling Vance "the future of the Republican Party" and noting that Rubio is actually one of his closest allies within the administration.
The bottom line? Trump's cards are on the table. Whether Vance formally announces remains to be seen, but the president has basically handed him the keys to the kingdom.
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