If the 2028 election were held today, Tucker Carlson says there wouldn’t even be a contest — Vice President J.D. Vance would be the runaway favorite to clinch the Republican nomination. And frankly, Carlson’s not wrong.
During a podcast appearance this week, the no-holds-barred conservative commentator offered a glowing prediction of Vance’s political future, making it clear that he believes the Ohio senator-turned-vice president is the heir apparent to President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
“The only person in the entire Republican Party from my position who’s capable of carrying on the Trump legacy and expanding it… is JD Vance,” Carlson said, citing Vance’s “profound” loyalty and service to Trump. He didn’t mince words: Vance isn’t just a solid pick—he’s the pick.
Now, let’s be clear: this isn’t just some casual endorsement from a cable news alum. Carlson’s own son works in Vance’s press office. And while that kind of connection could raise eyebrows among the D.C. cocktail circuit crowd, for the MAGA base, it only deepens the sense that Vance is already one of them.
Trump himself has been coy about 2028. Back in February, he refused to give a clear nod to Vance, saying only that “a lot of very capable people” will be running. That sparked the usual frenzy of speculation, with everyone from Ron DeSantis to Vivek Ramaswamy getting tossed back into the rumor mill. But none of them has captured the post-Trump imagination quite like Vance.
Even Donald Trump Jr. was dragged into the 2028 hype machine last month, when Mediaite floated the idea that he might be eyeing a run himself. Don Jr. didn’t just deny it—he nuked it from orbit, torching the media outlet for running with what he called “bulls**t” and reiterating his full support for Vance. Say what you will about the Trumps—they don’t leave much room for misinterpretation.
Strategist Mark Halperin summed up the Vance advantage nicely: “Unlike Kamala Harris, I don’t think there’s a show in America JD Vance would turn down.” That’s no small thing in today’s political climate, where visibility and backbone are currency.
And the numbers back it up. A recent poll of likely 2028 GOP primary voters showed Vance leading the pack—easily outperforming DeSantis, Haley, and Ramaswamy. Vance has the base, the MAGA stamp of approval, and increasingly, the national spotlight.
Tucker Carlson’s message is loud and clear: the GOP bench may be crowded, but J.D. Vance is already on the field—and he’s warming up for 2028.
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