The latest
Donald Trump has not turned on JD Vance. But he has not crowned him either.
According to The New York Times, Trump sees his vice president as a loyal fighter and a useful political weapon. He brings Vance into major decisions, gives him high-profile assignments and trusts him to attack the administration’s opponents.
But behind the scenes, Trump keeps asking the same question: Does Vance have what it takes to carry MAGA into 2028?
Details
• The Times, citing more than a dozen people familiar with the relationship, said Trump often raises doubts about Vance’s ability to become his political heir.
• Trump has told allies that Vance never won a difficult race without his help, a reference to Trump’s endorsement in Vance’s 2022 Ohio Senate campaign.
• The president is highly sensitive to image and performance. He has repeatedly brought up the moment Vance dropped Ohio State’s championship trophy at the White House as an example of bad optics.
• Rubio is now firmly part of the succession drama. Trump has privately and publicly asked people who they prefer: Vance or Rubio.
• At a White House dinner, Trump polled guests on the two men but stopped short of endorsing either one as his successor.
• In a Fortune interview, with Vance reportedly standing in the back of the Oval Office, Trump said the wrong person inheriting his legacy would be a “disaster.”
• Trump is also said to be irritated by some of Vance’s habits, including his heavy phone use and tendency to argue directly with critics online.
• The Times reported that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles urged Vance to step back from social media fights, viewing them as beneath the office of the vice presidency.
• Still, Vance has the one trait Trump values most: loyalty. He defends the president, attacks his enemies and has aligned himself with Trump even on issues where he once sounded more cautious.
• Iran is the hardest test. Vance rose in part by criticizing foreign intervention. Now he is defending Trump’s decision to launch a war.
• Trump has reportedly reminded Vance of his initial opposition to the conflict, telling him that he himself was more of a peace person but had to act.
• Trump also questioned the decision to send a Vance-led delegation to Pakistan for Iran talks after the mission failed to produce a breakthrough.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene warned that Vance’s shift on Iran could make it harder for him to regain the trust of anti-interventionist Republicans.
• Vance remains one of the strongest figures in the MAGA base. Trump allies argue that he was chosen because he can fight for the movement every day.
• But the bigger test is whether Vance can produce political wins of his own, rather than remain the loyal deputy operating inside Trump’s shadow.
• The White House rejected the Times account. Spokesman Steven Cheung said Vance has done an exceptional job implementing Trump’s America First agenda and has been empowered more than any vice president in history.
What to watch
The Trump-Vance relationship is not a breakup story. It is a succession story.
Vance is still the closest thing MAGA has to a natural heir. But Trump is keeping the race open, measuring him against Rubio and forcing both men to compete for his approval.
The message is clear: Vance may be the front-runner. He is not yet the chosen one.
