President Donald Trump has been questioned about the next presidential election following the midterms, where Republicans suffered significant losses.
During an interview with C-SPAN at the White House on November 4, Trump was asked whether he had discussed a possible 2028 presidential campaign with Vice President JD Vance.
His response suggested that Vance might not necessarily enter the race at all.
“I speak to him about a lot of things, but I mean, we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.
“Everybody, you don’t know who’s talking about running. You can have people running. You can have a lot of people, maybe a lot of people running, maybe nobody’s gonna run…
“Maybe he won’t run, I don’t know who’s gonna run.”
Trump made the comments just hours after Vance published a lengthy statement on X, in which he blamed public dissatisfaction with the war in Iran for contributing to the Republican midterm defeat.
Vance had previously acknowledged that he might decide against running for president in 2028.
“Of course there’s a chance,” he said during a CBS News town hall on October 18.
During an interview aboard Air Force Two with 2WAY’s Mark Halperin, the vice president also admitted that he had not yet made a final decision about his political future.
“I really have not made up my mind about what to do in 2028.”
Did Trump Agree With JD Vance’s View on the Midterm Losses?
Trump also addressed the substance of Vance’s explanation for the Republican setbacks, acknowledging that his vice president had made a reasonable point.
“I think it’s largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit, short term…” the president told Sky News.
In the months leading up to the midterm elections, Vance had repeatedly emphasized that his attention was focused on helping Republican candidates rather than making decisions about his own political ambitions for 2028.
He had suggested that he would likely begin seriously considering a presidential campaign once the midterms were over.
Both Trump and Vance had spent weeks campaigning for Republican candidates across the country before voters headed to the polls. However, questions about the next presidential race had already begun emerging before election day.
On October 20, reporters in the Oval Office asked Trump whether he would endorse Vance for president in 2028.
The question followed Vance’s interview with 2WAY, during which the vice president suggested that he expected to receive Trump’s support if he decided to run.
“Look, I think if I run, the president will endorse me, sure,” Vance said.
However, he also acknowledged that he had not discussed the possibility directly with Trump.
“But I also haven’t talked to him about it.”
Has Trump Endorsed JD Vance for the 2028 Election?
Trump’s response in the Oval Office suggested that he was not ready to make any commitments about the 2028 presidential race.
According to PBS NewsHour, the president said it was too early to decide whom he might support.
“I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it. You know, who would believe that?” Trump said.
Despite avoiding a direct endorsement, Trump had positive things to say about his vice president, describing Vance as “a very talented person” and “a very good person.”
He also emphasized that the immediate priority remained the 2026 midterm elections rather than the next presidential campaign.
Trump has repeatedly encouraged discussion about a possible Republican contest between Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the 2028 nomination.
He has previously described Vance as his “most likely” successor, but has stopped short of officially naming his preferred candidate.
For now, Vance has yet to announce whether he intends to seek the presidency, while Trump’s latest comments have left the question of his eventual endorsement unanswered.
