Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with CBS News that President Trump will be “very supportive” of his eventual 2028 decision, as the vice president moves closer to determining whether to seek the Republican presidential nomination. Vance told CBS Sunday Morning that he and his wife, Usha, will make a final decision after the 2026 midterm elections.
“I have no doubt that the president of the United States is going to be very supportive of anything that I ultimately decide to do,” Vance said. “But we really just haven’t talked about what that thing will be.”
Vance emphasized that he is not currently focused on his political future, saying he tries not to make major decisions until he absolutely must. “Usha and I will absolutely sit down and talk about what comes next for our family,” he said, adding that the timing will be after midterm results are known. He added that he does not want thoughts about a future job to distract him from being an effective vice president.
Trump has been openly encouraging discussion of Vance’s potential candidacy. Vance noted that Trump frequently brings up the topic, both publicly and privately. “The president’s a political animal. He loves this stuff. He’s very fascinated by it,” Vance said. However, he characterized the conversations as casual rather than detailed, with Trump asking general questions about what success would look like for the Republican Party going forward.
Trump has gone further in his public endorsements, repeatedly suggesting that Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio should run together as a joint ticket. On June 3, Trump said in a podcast interview that a Vance-Rubio combination would be “hard to beat” in 2028, according to Reuters and Time Magazine. Trump has floated the idea multiple times since May, describing it as a potential “dream team” ticket.
Vance remains the clear frontrunner in early polling for the 2028 Republican primary. According to a Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll conducted June 1-4, Vance secured 36% support among Republicans and right-leaning Independents, roughly double the next contender. Secretary of State Marco Rubio came in second at 17%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 7%.
Vance represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate for two years before Trump selected him as his running mate in 2024. Prior to his Senate tenure, he served in the Marine Corps and earned his law degree from Yale Law School. He is known for his 2016 bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” and is releasing a new memoir this week about his conversion to Catholicism.
Sources
- CBS News — Vance’s statement that Trump will be “very supportive” of his 2028 decision, and his plan to decide after the 2026 midterms
- Reuters — Trump’s June 3 podcast statement that a Vance-Rubio ticket would be “hard to beat”
- Time Magazine — Trump’s repeated suggestions of a Vance-Rubio 2028 ticket
- The Center Square — June 2026 poll showing Vance at 36%, Rubio at 17%, DeSantis at 7%
