Vice President JD Vance is still planning to run for president in 2028, according to allies of the VP who said a Vance 2028 campaign remains likely despite pitfalls, including the Trump administration’s unpopular Iran war.
According to an article published by Washington Post White House reporter Natalie Allison on Friday, several “close allies” of the vice president told the newspaper that Vance was “still more likely to run for president than not, despite pitfalls experienced in recent months.”
Vice President JD Vance gives remarks at a Sports Council announcement, Thursday, July 31, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. (White House Intern Photo by Julian Casciano)
Vance is Aware of the Trump Admin’s Growing Unpopularity, But Much Can Change in Two Years
More than a dozen people close to Vance told the Washington Post that while the vice president was “keenly aware of the headwinds against the Trump administration,” including the ongoing Iran war, much could change over the next two years, especially with the Democrats set to control both chambers of Congress in the new year.
“Two years is such an eternity in politics, and people are very easily prisoners of the moment,” said one unnamed person close to Vance, adding that the vice president was good at avoiding “panicky inclinations.”
Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative, also told the Washington Post that a 2028 presidential campaign was in Vance’s best interests, despite the hurdles he would have to clear to free himself from President Donald Trump’s sinking ship.
“The war needs to end,” Mills argued, adding that Vance was nonetheless a “pretty good politician.”
Mills continued, “So people who would tell him not to run, to go do something else — this is the best shot he’s going to get.”
Despite a slip in popularity over the past year, Vance is still the most popular pick for the 2028 Republican presidential nominee, according to several polls, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio shortly behind in second place.
President Donald J. Trump signs an Executive Order creating an anti-fraud task force to be led by Vice President JD Vance, Monday, March 16, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
Trump Has Sidelined Vance and Publicly Criticized His Calls For a Peace Deal
According to reports, Vance and Rubio have been pushing Trump in different directions amid his ongoing war against Iran, with Vance favoring a peace agreement and Rubio in favor of continuing the conflict through economic means.
The president made it clear which option appealed to him more on Thursday when he publicly announced that Vance would move his attention away from the Iran conflict and focus solely on domestic issues.
“I have asked Vice President Vance to focus his complete and total attention on the Massive Corruption and Crime taking place in Democrat run Cities and States throughout the U.S.,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Trump Has Refused to Endorse Vance in 2028, Hinting That the Vice President May Not Run
Despite the vice president’s allies telling the Washington Post that a Vance 2028 campaign is likely, Trump has repeatedly refused to say whether he would endorse his running mate in the next election.
“He’s a very talented person, and he’s a very good person, but we’ve literally— I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it,” Trump said last month when asked whether he would endorse Vance in 2028. “It’s early. We are very early right now. We have to get through the midterms. We’ll see how it goes.”
Asked the same question again this month, Trump told reporters, “Maybe he won’t run. I don’t know who’s going to run.”
Trump and Vance Are in Completely Different Boats
Following the Republican Party’s catastrophic defeat in the midterm elections this month, Vance and Trump issued very different statements.
While Vance acknowledged that the Iran war and its economic consequences had played a big part in the Republican Party losing control of both the House and Senate, Trump declared proudly that he would go to war all over again if given the opportunity.
With the elections in the rearview mirror and unable to seek a third term, Trump has little left to lose and no longer has to appeal to voters beyond attempts to secure his legacy.
Vance, on the other hand, has presidential ambitions and a longer political career ahead of him. Nearly 40 years Trump’s junior, Vance cannot risk alienating Republican voters and likely sees the Iran war as an albatross around his neck.
The vice president needs the Iran war neatly wrapped up before his 2028 campaign. The president does not, and likely would not, wince at the thought of the conflict continuing into the foreseeable future.
About the Author: Charlie Nash
Charlie Nash is a journalist and author whose work has appeared in The Spectator, Mediaite, New Statesman, and the American Conservative, among other major publications. His reporting has been featured by The Washington Post, Fox News, the Daily Beast, MS NOW, NewsNation, Hannity, and more. You can follow Charlie on X at @CharlieNash and on LinkedIn.
