In recent months, there have been various reports that Donald Trump isn’t quite sure about backing JD Vance for the Republican nomination in 2028, and anointing Vance as the implied heir to the leadership of the MAGA movement. Trump has been known to ask those around him whether they support Vance or, possibly, Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the future GOP standard-bearer. As recently as last month, it was thought that Vance’s role in the underwhelming deal to end the Iran war had affected his status.
But now, a new report says that Vance is back as the favorite.
This is JD Vance’s summer: The vice president penned a bestselling book, helped broker a tentative peace deal with Iran, embarked on a media blitz and — most importantly for him — impressed the man in the Oval Office. https://t.co/nah2l7Umti
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) July 6, 2026
According to Axios, Vance has gotten back into favor due to a “hot summer,” in which the VP “penned a bestselling book, helped broker a tentative peace deal with Iran, embarked on a media blitz and — most importantly for him — impressed the man in the Oval Office.” The piece also quoted several White House sources, putting forth the idea that Vance is back in the top spot, and that the “parlor game” in which Trump asked those around him who he should back in 2028.
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“JD is earning it, and Trump sees it,” one White House source told Axios, while adding that Rubio “wasn’t planning to run anyway, and he’d be even less likely to do so now.” As a cabinet secretary, Rubio would likely have to resign as secretary of state in order to pursue a presidential candidacy.
“Rubio has made it clear he has no desire to wage a primary campaign for president. One sign Rubio means it: He doesn’t have the infrastructure for a possible campaign that Vance does, namely a stable of political consultants and insiders who are ready to work on his behalf,” the Axios piece said.
“POTUS isn’t asking, ‘JD or Marco?’ anymore,” an insider told Axios of Trump. “He’s no longer asking, ‘How’s JD doing?’ He’s now saying, ‘JD looks great, right?'”
While earlier reporting had stated that Vance was being made the fall guy for the Iran talks, the Axios piece called that “memorandum of understanding” one of the reasons why the VP is flying high.
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
