NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza said during a recent live stream on his YouTube channel that Vice President JD Vance is a formidable potential 2028 presidential candidate whom Democrats underestimate “at their own peril.”
An Emerson College poll published last week showed Vance with a 46 percent favorability rating, leading several prominent Republicans and Democrats, including potential 2028 contenders.
Reacting to the poll on X, Cillizza said the numbers reinforced his belief that Democrats fail to grasp “Vance’s appeal,” a point he reiterated during his live stream.
“I’m pretty bullish on JD Vance,” Cillizza said. “I think Democrats underestimate JD Vance at their own peril, which I think they’re doing.”
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said recently that Vance appeared to be in a strong position to secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
Enten cited Vance’s large advantage in early polling and the historical success rate of sitting vice presidents when seeking their party’s nomination.
“Look, this is early polling, but look, for the GOP nomination, it’s JD Vance at 40 percent,” Enten said. “There’s no one even close to him.”
“Keep in mind that early favorites have actually gone on to win the nomination 63 percent of the time, those who have run since 1980,” Enten added.
WATCH:
Grassroots conservatives expressed strong early support for JD Vance as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, according to a straw poll conducted at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest.
Vance received 84.2% support among respondents, far outpacing other potential Republican contenders.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed second with 4.8%, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 2.9% and Donald Trump Jr. at 1.8%, according to the poll results.
“JD Vance won the 2028 nomination straw poll by more than Donald Trump won the 2024 one we did two years ago,” Blake Neff, producer of the “Charlie Kirk Show,” said on X. Two years ago, President Trump clinched 82.6% support, followed by DeSantis at 7.6%.
Vance was the final featured speaker at the AmericaFest gathering in Phoenix. Ahead of his remarks, Turning Point USA Chief Executive Officer Erika Kirk offered remarks that attendees interpreted as an endorsement of Vance for the presidency in 2028.
The country’s No. 2 elected official has led early polling among potential Republican contenders for the 2028 presidential election. He has publicly stated, however, that he is not currently focused on a future presidential bid.
“We’re going to win the midterms. We’re going to do everything that we can to win the midterms,” Vance told Fox News’ “Hannity” when asked about his 2028 plans earlier this month. “And then after that, I’m going to sit down with the president of the United States and talk to him about it.”
Nevertheless, that doesn’t prevent him from occasionally targeting potential Democratic rivals for 2028.
“Democrats are already talking about 2028 and it looks like they’re going to nominate a California liberal who’s presided over rolling blackouts, open borders and unchecked violent gangs,” Vance said during his AmericaFest speech Sunday. “They’re just trying to settle on whether it’s going to be Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris.”
Trump has not endorsed a potential successor, with the next presidential election still three years away. The president continues to maintain strong support among grassroots conservative activists, according to the straw poll results.
Nearly two months after a widely shared embrace between the two, Erika — who has assumed leadership of the organization following her husband’s assassination — appeared on stage at the Phoenix Convention Center last month to formally back Vance’s anticipated White House bid.
“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she told thousands of activists, per video of her speech that was posted online.
The announcement was met with loud applause.
If he does run, Turning Point USA could offer a significant boost.
The nonprofit has become a major force in conservative youth organizing and MAGA politics, building substantial influence within the Republican grassroots through its nationwide campus network, expansive digital reach, and ability to mobilize activists on behalf of candidates.
