WASHINGTON — President Trump says it’s too early to know if he will anoint Vice President JD Vance as his successor in 2028.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked Trump, 78, in an interview taped ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl, “Do you view Vice President JD Vance as your successor, the Republican nominee in 2028?”
“No, but he’s very capable,” Trump replied.
“I think you have a lot of very capable people. So far I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early. We’re just starting.”
Baier interjected, “By the time we get to get to the midterms, [Vance] is going to be looking for an endorsement.”
“A lot of people have said that this has been the greatest opening — almost three weeks — in the history of the presidency,” Trump deflected.
It’s possible that Trump chose not to endorse Vance as his successor to avoid calling attention to the fact that he is constitutionally obligated to leave office when he completes his second term in January 2029.
Trump frequently muses about changing the Constitution to serve a third term, but that’s understood partially as a way to avoid “lameduck” status that could sap his political power.
