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President Donald Trump made it clear in a preview of his Super Bowl interview on Monday that he is not ready to endorse Vice President JD Vance as his Republican successor for 2028.
When asked by Fox News’s Bret Baier whether he saw Vance as his natural successor and the likely Republican nominee, Trump responded, “No, but he’s very capable. I think you have a lot of very capable people.”
Trump emphasized that it was too soon to make such decisions. “So far, I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early, we’re just starting,” he added.
Trump’s response matters because he cannot run for a third term under the U.S. Constitution, making the future leadership of the Republican Party an open question. Vance, who was chosen as Trump’s running mate last year, has been widely considered a potential frontrunner for the 2028 nomination.
However, not all Republicans are fully convinced. His past criticisms of Trump continue to follow him, even as he has become one of Trump’s most loyal allies. While his approval ratings have risen since becoming vice president, FiveThirtyEight’s aggregate polling shows he remains 2.6 points underwater.
Baier pressed further, suggesting that by the 2026 midterms, Vance would likely seek Trump’s endorsement for a presidential run. Trump avoided giving a direct answer, instead shifting the conversation to his administration’s accomplishments.
“A lot of people have said this has been the greatest opening, almost three weeks, in the history of the presidency,” he said. “We’ve done so much, so fast. And we really had to because what they’ve done to our country is so sad.”
Baier later described Trump’s answer as “shocking” when discussing the interview on Fox News. “I think it was a little shocking when he said no. I wasn’t expecting that,” Baier said.
“But once you get to the midterms, you start to think about 2028, and one would think JD Vance is going to be positioned for that role. But clearly, the president isn’t ready to talk about that or think about it yet.”
Trump’s refusal to name Vance as his political heir sparked debate among political commentators. Conservative pundit Joey Mannarino dismissed concerns, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “So many people think this is a dig at JD Vance. They don’t know how Trump works. Trump isn’t going to crown JD successor with 21 days of seeing his work as VP. Trump wants JD to earn it. And that makes perfect sense.”
Matt Whitlock, a former spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, defended Trump’s remarks. “The full clip makes clear it’s not about JD, it’s about not wanting to talk about a successor three weeks into the job. Don’t expect that context to make the rounds though,” he posted.
Not everyone viewed Trump’s comments in the same light. Anti-Trump Republican strategist Sarah Longwell reacted with a blunt assessment: “That was a pretty hard NO on endorsing JD Vance.”
With the next presidential election still years away, both parties will spend the coming years evaluating potential candidates.
For now, Trump remains focused on his second term, while Vance continues to navigate his role as vice president. However, the question of who will lead the post-Trump Republican Party remains wide open.
