US President Donald Trump has told donors he wants Vice President JD Vance to be the Republican presidential candidate in 2028, according to a report.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that Trump made the remark during a private Oval Office meeting with donors two weeks ago.
According to two anonymous sources, Trump said: “At the end of the day, we need to elect JD.”
One presidential adviser told the newspaper that Trump has privately settled on Vance as the next Republican candidate, though it remains “too early” to know when any formal endorsement would come.
Other advisers cautioned that Trump could still change his mind and often says different things to different people.
“Anyone assuming it’s a lock is just getting way ahead of themselves, or just doesn’t know the president very well,” one official said.
Vance’s main potential rival for the nomination is seen as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who enjoys strong support among some Jewish American conservatives.
Trump has previously floated the idea of a Vance-Rubio ticket without specifying which of the two should seek the presidency.
