To this point, I think most people on the right side of the aisle figured everyone would just get out of the way of JD Vance in the 2028 presidential election.
After all, Trump has suggested Vance is the heir apparent, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) has knighted him, and MAGA loves him.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), however, is telling everyone to pump the brakes because Steve Bannon is going to run.
Trump has been coy about anointing Vance because four years together is a long time, and look how Trump and Mike Pence wound up.
Having said that, when Trump was asked if he thought Vance was the heir apparent to MAGA, he responded, “Well, I think most likely, in all fairness. He’s the vice president.”
Trump tempered that by saying it was way too early to commit, as well as mentioning Secretary of State Marco Rubio as someone he would like to see in the mix.
As long as Vance does not cross Trump, he is likely to get Trump’s blessing.
Vance was one of the keynote speakers at AmericaFest, a TPUSA event that was held recently, and it was made very clear that TPUSA is completely behind Vance running in 2028.
Charlie Kirk Show executive producer Andrew Kolvet stated, "We're all in behind Vice President JD Vance. Charlie considered him a generational talent and somebody that could lead this nation forward.”
Erika Kirk, who has taken over TPUSA after her husband’s assassination, also backed Vance, stating, "We are going to get my husband's friend, JD Vance, elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.”
So, that's it, right? If Trump is behind him and TPUSA is behind him, what chance does anyone else have?
Bannon is a major Trump ally, or at least he has been in the past. But Trump has made some moves that Bannon does not necessarily agree with. The same can be said of Matt Gaetz, who was Trump’s original nominee for attorney general during his second term.
Apparently, Bannon is going to take a run at Vance. Gaetz broke this news during a recent appearance on “The Tucker Carlson Show,” stating, “Just like the and I love Steve Bannon, so I don’t want like my our last discussion to come across as a criticism of Steve but I mean he’s going to run for president on the on just a straight, Elizabeth Warren wealth tax economic agenda.”
He continued, “Yeah. He’s going to run for president and say, take the money from those people who have way too much of it, the Bill Ackman of the world. And I want to give it to you.”
While MAGA loves Vance, they also love Bannon, which would create a huge in-house feud. The one thing Gaetz did not explain is whether Bannon will run in the GOP primary or if he will take a shot as an independent. If Bannon does that, it really complicates things for the GOP in 2028, as he would clearly only draw votes away from Vance, setting up Democrats for a huge win.
