Overview
- Vance said at a CBS town hall on Saturday, Oct. 17, that “there’s a chance” he will not run for president and he and his wife have agreed to postpone serious discussion about 2028 until after the midterm elections.
- Early national polling puts Vance well ahead in a hypothetical GOP primary, with a RealClearPolling average showing roughly 39 percent support and a 15-point lead over Marco Rubio.
- In an interview with Mark Halperin that aired this week, Vance said he believes President Trump would likely endorse him if he ran but he also acknowledged he has not raised the subject with the president.
- President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he and Vance have not discussed a 2028 endorsement, leaving any formal backing unresolved for now.
- Vance’s public ambivalence shifts the near-term focus to the Nov. 3 midterms and preserves uncertainty about GOP succession because Trump’s endorsement has in recent cycles been highly decisive and could quickly reshape the primary field.