Trump Delivers Humiliating Snub to Vance’s Face
The president is still refusing to pick his preferred Republican successor—even as JD Vance brags that he thinks he has done enough to earn a 2028 endorsement.
Donald Trump shut his eyes and shook his head in disapproval when a reporter asked whether he would endorse JD Vance’s likely 2028 presidential bid—all while the Vice President watched from behind him.
Trump pursed his lips and cut a reporter off mid-question on Tuesday afternoon as they asked about a future endorsement.
“He’s a very talented person and a very good person, but literally, I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it,” Trump said. “It’s early, very early.”
The brutal snub comes a day after Vance told journalist Mark Halperin that if he decided to run in two years, he believes Trump will endorse him.
US President Donald Trump listens to Vice President JD Vance speak before taking questions from the press at the White House in Washington, DC, US, October 20, 2026. Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS
Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS
Vance scrambled on the spot Tuesday to signal he is in lockstep with the president.
“I said that too,” the VP said, agreeing that he and the president still have not discussed his likely 2028 run.
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Both men have said their current focus is on the upcoming midterms, which have become competitive even in deep-red strongholds like Kansas. If Democrats ultimately take control of the House and Senate, as they are currently favored to do, Republicans fear that Trump will be on the defensive from congressional probes and impeachments in the second half of his term.
Mark Schiefelbein/Mark Schiefelbein/Pool via REUTERS
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the other rumored top 2028 contender for Republicans. The same day that Vance appeared with Trump, he delivered a speech in Athens, Greece, about the importance of Western civilization. He sported a new haircut, which has recently helped him regain ground lost to his lengthening forehead.
Trump has been especially complimentary this term to the man he called “Little Marco” during his first presidential run.
“He’s a master,” Trump said during a Hispanic Heritage Month event at the White House last month. “He’s an unbelievable man, really amazing.”
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