Appearing live from Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, Fox News contributor Kayleigh McEnany reportedly offered a note of caution to Republicans already rallying behind Vice President JD Vance as the party’s future standard-bearer, urging the GOP not to rush into anointing a nominee for 2028. While praising the enthusiasm surrounding Vance, McEnany said the party would be better served by a competitive primary process.
Speaking with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum during Thursday’s AmericaFest events, McEnany reacted to an endorsement earlier in the day by Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk. Kirk told the crowd that she was backing Vance for a presidential run in 2028, saying supporters were going to get “my husband’s friend JD Vance elected… in the most resounding way possible.”
McEnany described the endorsement as “powerful,” but stressed that Republicans should resist the temptation to clear the field years in advance. “I think it’s very important that the Republican party have a competitive primary,” she said. “It makes you tougher.” She contrasted that approach with the Democratic Party’s handling of the 2024 cycle, arguing that the lack of a real primary weakened the left. “We see how much weaker, in my opinion, the left was by not having a primary [in 2024],” she said.
“I hope we have that competitive primary,” McEnany added, underscoring her belief that internal debate sharpens candidates and strengthens the eventual nominee.
At the same time, McEnany acknowledged that Turning Point USA’s backing gives Vance a significant advantage early on. She said the organization’s influence with younger voters cannot be dismissed and credited it with helping expand Republican support in recent years.
McEnany pointed to Fox News voter analysis showing that between 2021 and 2024, President Donald Trump gained 11 points among young voters. She said that improvement was due “in no small part” to the work of Turning Point USA, which was founded in 2012 by conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, who was later assassinated.
Describing the atmosphere at AmericaFest, McEnany praised the energy and engagement of the younger attendees. “These young people are engaged. They are smart,” she said. “They have an outlet here at Turning Point USA. They are inspired by Erika Kirk, and they are being drawn away from social media and back to the things that matter in life: Faith, hope, and truth.”
The discussion comes as early and highly speculative polling begins to circulate around the 2028 race. An early survey released Tuesday by The Argument and Verasight showed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York narrowly leading Vance 51 percent to 49 percent in a hypothetical general election matchup. The two-point margin falls within the poll’s margin of error, highlighting the uncertainty of polling conducted so far ahead of an election.
Ocasio-Cortez herself dismissed the significance of early polling while speaking Wednesday with Migrant Insider editor Pablo Manríquez. Acknowledging the unreliability of such surveys, she nevertheless struck a confident tone, saying, “Let the record show: I would stomp him. I would stomp him!”
While enthusiasm around Vance continues to build in conservative circles, McEnany’s comments reflect a broader argument within the GOP: that momentum is valuable, but a robust primary fight may be just as important in preparing Republicans for the next presidential contest.
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