WASHINGTON — The Republican world is swimming in rumors about 2028 — but Vice President Vance keeps rising to the top.
Vance’s unprecedented post as Republican National Committee finance chair gives the 40-year-old a leg up to be President Trump’s successor, GOP insiders told The Post, with some going as far as arguing he will be the sure-fire choice.
“If he puts the RNC fundraising machine into overdrive and the party over-performs in 2026, he’ll solidify himself as the next GOP torchbearer. That is, if he stays in the good graces of you know who,” one source close to the White House said.
Republican strategist Dennis Lennox went further: “The idea that Vance is not going to be the Republican nominee in 2028 is absurd.
“Holding all the primaries and caucuses and the convention in Houston will waste time and money that would otherwise be spent on defeating the Democrat nominee,” Lennox added.
“The RNC might as well cancel the 2028 primaries and caucuses at this point.”
No Republicans — or Democrats — have officially dropped their names into the 2028 hat yet, but Vance could possibly face Republicans like Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley in the primaries, and Democrats like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in the general election.
Some unexpected Republicans, including those in Trump’s orbit, could always jump in and challenge the veep for his position if they see blood in the water, but Vance has a path forward if he doesn’t get off course.
Despite being term-limited and having hand-picked the veep, Trump, 78, has refused to say whether Vance will be his immediate successor, telling Fox News in February that he’s not a shoo-in — but that he’s “very capable.”
Just months into the administration, Vance has also not made big waves in pushing his name forward, saying he needs to shore up wins first to prove himself.
“If I do really well for the next four years, everything else will take care of itself. . . . Now, like, yeah, in two and a half years, will that become harder? Will people be more focused on politics than on what the White House is maybe doing that particular day? Maybe,” Vance told NBC News last week.
The former Ohio senator and best-selling author has had a large role in the White House so far, making himself front-and-center in Trump’s foreign policy agenda — and has been bullish on biting those who oppose the president’s message.
He went to the Munich Security Conference to deliver a message on Trump’s vision for Europe — and clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an unprecedented shouting match in the Oval Office.
“I mean, man, if I was like a central figure to getting the Russia-Ukraine crisis solved, who gives a s–t what I do after this?” Vance told NBC, indicating he sees himself as a big component of Trump’s foreign policy agenda.
“That’s kind of the attitude I take. So I’m very focused on doing a good job.”
‘A litmus test’
The RNC finance chair position is the first time a sitting vice president has been appointed to the post and will allow Vance to get more face time with donors and Republicans.
But the responsibility of shoring up cash for the tight-margin midterms may be a testing ground for the newly minted VP to see how he does with leading the GOP apparatus — and his fate does still ultimately rest with the Trump seal of approval, insiders say.
A Vance ally expressed optimism with his position already, telling The Post that the finance chair position might be helpful on the “margins,” but he has already had access to donors and Republicans during his campaign run with Trump.
“If he can ride the MAGA wave, collect some wins and focus on building relationships with lawmakers that will have his back, he should be able to slide into the nomination,” a second source close to the White House said.
“The downside will be if we have a tough fundraising cycle in ’26, he’ll have a target on his back,” the insider went on. “Probably a litmus test he doesn’t even know he’s in the middle of.”
Republicans are already talking about how they will deliver major wins in 2026 and secure the House and Senate again, hopefully with larger margins that allow for more wiggle room to get Trump’s agenda through.
Trump has said he has over $600 million in fundraising dollars that he could use for the midterms, and that he’s already directed his staff to hit the phones and campaign against the Democrats for 2026.
“I think we’re going to really increase our margins by a lot,” the president predicted in February.
“Last year, President Trump won an historic election victory, taking back the White House and helping Republicans regain control of the Senate and retain control of the House,” Vance said in a statement about his appointment.
“But to fully enact the MAGA mandate and President Trump’s vision that voters demanded, we must keep and grow our Republican majorities in 2026.”
The race for congressional spots will also be an opportunity for those newly aboard the Trump train to prove their loyalties, especially those in the tech and business world who have contributed millions to the president’s campaign.
“This is a chance for JD and his team to be on the same page with the president’s large donor network,” one source close to Mar-a-Lago affairs said.
“That, and I believe the president wants to see if these executives in ‘Little Tech’ actually became Republicans and will give toward the midterms or if they just purchased expensive tickets after the election to get a favorable regulatory environment.”
