“JD Vance sucks.” I’ve heard that sentiment from Democrats ever since Donald Trump chose the junior senator from Ohio as his running mate in 2024. And it's not surprising that Democrats still hold that judgment. What is surprising is that I now quietly hear the same sentiment coming from some MAGA and conservative circles.
To be clear, the vice president is so far ahead in polling for the GOP nomination in 2028 that the next most popular candidate, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has publicly deferred his own possible run to Vance. If you ask the MAGA base, they will tell you without hesitating that Vance will be the 2028 nominee. Many MAGA voters are more interested in whom the current vice president will pick as his vice president than in hearing from any other prospective candidates for 2028.
But the quiet talk in Washington is much different and growing louder. Even Trump is reportedly asking friends and advisers about who would be better – Vance or Rubio. That question alone is a telling admission.
This is a preview of Matthew Bartlett’s latest column. Read the full column here.
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