Vice President-elect JD Vance Poised to Succeed Donald Trump as America First Movement’s Leader
With President-elect Donald Trump unable to run for the White House in 2028, JD Vance is set to take over as the leader of the America First movement and the Republican Party’s powerful MAGA base. As the chair of the Republican National Committee, Michael Whatley confirmed that the party will remain neutral in the 2028 presidential primary, allowing Vance to be the front-runner.
Trump’s support for Vance, along with his victory in the 2024 election, has solidified his position as the most likely candidate to succeed Trump. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., stated that “We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance,” while longtime Republican strategist Dave Carney believes that “Vance is the guy to beat.”
According to David Kochel, another veteran GOP strategist, Vance’s front-runner status is due to Trump’s “size and scope” of his electoral victory and the “implied passing of the torch from Donald Trump.” While there may be other contenders, Kochel notes that “nobody will completely defer to JD Vance. There will be a contest. There always is.”
RNC Chair Michael Whatley emphasized the party’s commitment to neutrality in the 2028 primary, citing the strength of the party’s bench, including Republican governors, senators, and House members. He believes that Trump’s “America First movement is bigger than Donald Trump, and that the party will continue the momentum of this agenda and movement.