MILWAUKEE – The selection of Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as former President Trump’s running mate could have important implications for the potential Republican Party succession fight, putting him in pole position to become the standard-bearer of the party in the post-Trump era.
Trump’s vice presidential selection decision was always going to have major ramifications, but they are magnified even further as he is limited to a single term, setting up a potential primary battle in 2028 to continue the former president’s mantle.
Vance, 39, has now risen to the top of the list in the eyes of many top Republicans, who argue that a successful term as vice president would put him in prime position to lead the America First agenda into the future.
“We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here, but he has a very bright future, and obviously if we are successful and can serve as vice president, he, I’m sure, will be on a lot of people’s lists… for a long time,” the senator said. John Thune (SD), one of the leading candidates to become Republican leader next year.
“He is a powerful messenger,” Thune continued. “Very articulate, and whether you agree with him or not, he… always makes a very good argument, makes his case, and I think he will be a fierce defender of President Trump and his policies.”
Trump announced Monday that he has chosen Vance as his running mate, opting for the first-term senator over other finalists including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R). .
In doing so, Trump sent a signal that he was focused not just on winning in November, but on shaping the party’s future trajectory.
Parts of Trump’s base were skeptical of Rubio, a more traditional conservative, and Burgum was not considered a candidate who would excite Trump’s followers.
Vance is seen as someone who could not only appeal to working-class voters in Pennsylvania in the upcoming election, but also someone who could communicate directly with Trump supporters, was aligned with Trump on politics, and could serve as a younger face of the “America First”. “movement.
“I think Donald Trump is thinking a lot these days about the future, and the future is JD Vance,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is close to both men.
“JD Vance is pro-worker, he’s strong on the border, he’s tough on China. He understands what is at stake. And he aligns with Donald Trump on every issue,” said Banks, who Trump supported in this year’s Senate race in Indiana. “I think that’s what matters. He represents the future of the party and the movement.”
Donald Trump Jr. is close to Vance and was a vocal supporter of his father choosing him as his running mate.
Trump Jr. dismissed concerns that Vance’s inexperience or youth could be a risk. Instead, he argued, it would be an asset and a way to take the party into the future.
“I love that JD is young. My father built Trump Tower at age 37. You may be young and talented,” Trump Jr. told reporters on the convention floor after the pick was announced.
“I love that he’s young because I see him as someone who can really move the America First movement forward,” added Trump Jr. “This is a new generation of the Republican Party. He’s a young guy who can carry that.”
Vance’s own evolution reflects how Trump has completely reshaped the party. He was once a fierce critic of Trump, condemning the former president as “harmful” and “an idiot” around the 2016 election.
But the senator has repeatedly spoken out about how wrong he was about Trump and has since become one of his staunchest supporters. Vance has adopted Trump’s views on trade, the border, the crackdown on China and the suspension of additional U.S. aid to Ukraine.
The Ohio Republican has also shown during his first year and a half in the upper chamber that he is not afraid to exert his influence — a fact that has not gone unnoticed by his more like-minded colleagues.
“He started running at us and I thought, ‘Man, here’s a rookie coming in and he let leadership know quickly what he thought,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), pointing to his repeated comments opposing the more aid to Ukraine or the train derailments in East Palestine that put him on the other side of many Senate Republicans.
Tuberville declined to address the 2028 possibilities for Vance, pointing to the more urgent need to re-elect the former president.
“It gives you a lot of name recognition, but you don’t have to worry about that right now,” Tuberville said. “We have to elect Trump and him and let them take it from there.”
With Trump being a lame-duck president, should he win a second term, there are already signs that some in the party are looking ahead to 2028.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign this year, is scheduled to speak at an Iowa Republican Party event being held here during the convention.
Vance, who was born in a Midwestern state, would hypothetically be attractive to Iowa voters, top Republicans argue.
“I would say it puts him in the driver’s seat as a national leader,” said Jeff Kaufman, chairman of the Iowa Republican Party.
DeSantis and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley (R), Trump’s main rivals, spoke at the convention on Tuesday night.
Regardless of others’ desires, Vance’s potential promotion could give him a platform that many Republicans could only dream of.
“If he’s not the heir apparent today, I don’t know who is,” said a Republican operative.
But some senior party figures believe that while it would be a big change for him, it wouldn’t come close to sealing anything in 2028. They specifically point to a potential second Trump cabinet that could be packed with potential White House hopefuls ahead. of the next presidential cycle.
“I don’t know if that would be the case,” said former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). “[Trump’s] there will be a lot of people there, and then there will be a lot of very capable people [interested].”
“There’s no way to say it gives you any advantage,” McCarthy continued. “But I still don’t think it’s safe for him.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
