President Donald Trump has reportedly privately encouraged major donors to support Vice President JD Vance as the Republican Party’s future standard-bearer, according to a new report that suggests the president may be signaling his preferred successor behind closed doors.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that Trump recently spoke favorably about Vance during a private meeting with donors in the Oval Office. According to reporters Natalie Allison and Isaac Arnsdorf, two people familiar with the meeting said Trump made his position clear.
“At the end of the day, we need to elect JD,” Trump reportedly told the group.
The reported remarks stand in contrast to Trump’s public posture on the 2028 presidential race. While the president has frequently praised both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he has not officially endorsed any potential successor. Trump has also occasionally joked in public about the possibility of seeking a third term.
According to an MS NOW report from last month, Trump has become increasingly favorable toward the idea of Vance leading the Republican ticket in 2028. The report said the president’s growing confidence in the vice president has been influenced by Vance’s recent media appearances as well as his slimmer appearance.
Despite the reported comments to donors, some individuals within Trump’s political circle remain unconvinced that the president has made a final decision about who should carry the Republican banner after his presidency.
One White House official cautioned against assuming the matter has already been settled.
“Anyone assuming it’s a lock is just getting way ahead of themselves, or just doesn’t know the president very well,” the official said.
The same official also told The Washington Post that Trump has continued weighing his options privately. During a Marine One flight last month, the president was reportedly asking people around him questions comparing Vance and Rubio, suggesting he was still discussing the strengths of both men. According to the report, that conversation occurred just weeks before Trump’s reported Oval Office remarks to donors.
Several others close to the president also urged caution. The Washington Post reported that six additional advisers from Trump’s political orbit said they were not convinced the president had definitively settled on Vance as his preferred 2028 candidate, emphasizing that they believe it is still too early to reach that conclusion.
At the same time, one Trump adviser offered a more definitive assessment of the president’s thinking, saying Trump has privately concluded that Vance should become the Republican Party’s heir. Even so, the adviser stressed that significant questions remain unanswered, including whether Vance will ultimately decide to run for president and whether Trump would formally endorse him if he does.
The adviser also said Trump would like to see Rubio join Vance on a future Republican ticket. However, according to the report, it remains unclear whether Rubio would have any interest in serving as Vance’s running mate in a 2028 presidential campaign.
[READ MORE: Rep. Chuck Edwards Ends Re-Election Campaign Following House Ethics Report]
