Trump refuses to endorse JD Vance for 2028 presidential race

US President Donald Trump has declined to endorse Vice President JD Vance for the 2028 presidential election, despite growing speculation that Vance could emerge as a leading Republican contender.

According to The Express, Trump stopped short of backing his vice president for the next presidential race, with the decision coming less than two months before the 2026 midterm elections.

Vance has increasingly been viewed as a potential successor to Trump within the Republican Party. At the recent Republican convention in Dallas, he delivered a major speech that further fueled speculation about his political ambitions.

Trump, however, has not committed himself to Vance as his preferred successor. Reuters reported that although Trump praised Vance as “very talented”, he withheld an endorsement for the 2028 race.

The development comes as several Republicans are being discussed as possible candidates for the party’s post-Trump leadership, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

The absence of a Trump endorsement leaves the Republican succession race open as the party prepares for the next presidential cycle.