U.S. President Donald Trump has privately told Republican donors that he wants Vice President JD Vance to win the 2028 presidential election, signaling that he may be prepared to support Vance as his successor, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
According to people familiar with the discussion, Trump made the remarks during a meeting with donors in the Oval Office approximately two weeks ago.
“In the end, we need to elect JD,” Trump reportedly said.
The comments appear to differ from Trump’s public position over the past year, during which he has encouraged competition between Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential Republican contenders for 2028.
Trump has praised both men, suggested they could potentially run together and repeatedly declined to identify a preferred successor.
Despite his reported private endorsement of Vance, Trump has continued to ask advisers to compare Vance and Rubio. A White House official reportedly said Trump questioned staff about both men during a Marine One flight late last month.
One adviser said Trump had privately decided that Vance should lead the Republican Party after his presidency, but that it was still “too early” to determine when Vance would announce a candidacy or when Trump would publicly endorse him.
However, six other Trump allies and advisers told the Post they were not convinced the president had made a final decision. They noted that Trump frequently gives different people different signals and could still change his mind.
Vance has not announced any plans to run for president in 2028. People who have spoken with him reportedly said he had not yet made a decision, while one person close to the vice president said he intended to wait until after the birth of his fourth child, expected on July 19.
Trump is also said to remain favorable toward Rubio as a potential running mate for Vance. The president has repeatedly praised the secretary of state, although it remains unclear whether Rubio would accept a position on a Vance-led ticket.
With the 2028 Republican field still taking shape, Trump’s reported comments could give Vance a significant advantage while keeping open the possibility of further changes in the former president’s succession plans.
