Vance positions for 2028 presidency by distancing from Trump’s record

Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher.

Seeking to salvage the midterm fortunes of the Republicans, Vice President JD Vance shifted his strategy, focusing less on President Donald Trump and more on the issues that define his political identity. A Reuters review of half a dozen speeches since the Republican convention in September found that Vance made the case for Republicans—who lost control of Congress in the November 3 vote—almost entirely through the lens of his policy portfolio.

With Vance viewed as a leading potential 2028 contender, the change was deliberate, according to people familiar with the strategy. In recent speeches, he bypassed Trump’s signature policies, including the Iran war and deportations, as polls showed the president’s waning popularity dragging down Republican candidates.

Some Republican officials say he will need to win over much of Trump’s coalition while distancing himself from the president’s baggage. He remains a likely frontrunner, even without Trump’s nationwide political machinery.

After the election, Vance took a more public step to reinforce his political brand by posting an unusually blunt social media postmortem. He blamed the war in Iran for the Republicans losing the midterms and laid out a platform to end the conflict swiftly, focus on affordability, reevaluate foreign relations, and overhaul Washington’s relationship with Israel. The post marked the first time he openly advocated for ending the war.

People familiar with White House and Vance communications told Reuters that the post did not signal a break with Trump. In fact, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles knew about it in advance.

In the closing days of the campaign, Vance largely ignored the Iran war and gas prices, rarely mentioning Trump by name. At one of his final rallies in North Carolina, he said: “I want my kids to raise a family in a country that is vibrant and thriving and free and prosperous. I want the simple things.”

Despite the effort to define a distinct message, Republicans still lost in states where Vance campaigned. The repositioning offers early signals of how he may try to chart his own path within the party while retaining support from the Trump base without fully inheriting the president’s political liabilities.

The midterm results have also prompted responses and renewed speculation among other Republicans long viewed as possible 2028 contenders, thereby widening a field that once looked more settled around Vance.

Senator Ted Cruz called the midterm election results a “Watergate-level repudiation” and an “ass kicking.” He wrote that Texas had turned blue for now and that he was the state’s only statewide elected Republican. Cruz urged his party to listen to voters, focus on economic policies that affect working people, and reckon with the losses. He has never hidden his interest in another presidential run.

Reports say he has quietly sounded out potential staff for a possible 2028 bid and is expected to work with longtime consultant Jeff Roe if he runs. Some Republicans now believe the post-midterm climate could give an outsider-style challenger like Cruz more room to compete.

Governor Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited and will leave office in January, has stressed that Florida was among the few red states that largely held off Democratic gains. He called the national results “close to an extinction-level event for Republicans” and the political equivalent of a “meteor strike.” Multiple reports, citing people briefed on his thinking, say he is preparing for a possible presidential run or keeping the option open, with Florida’s relative resilience central to his case.

His super Political Action Committee has been fundraising, and allies see an opening amid dissatisfaction with the administration. DeSantis has publicly denied contacting consultants about a campaign, saying he has “not reached out to anybody about running for anything.” He has not ruled out a run, however, noting that he will be a “free man” after January. Some associates suggest he is more likely weighing a 2032 run—or simply keeping his options open as he forms a think tank focused on rebuilding the party.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has adopted a more restrained public stance. In interviews, he dismissed reports that he might resign early to prepare a bid, saying that serving out his full term has “always been my plan” and adding, “I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore. I just won’t do it.” He has previously said he would support Vance if the vice president runs and called Vance a strong potential candidate.

Although some Republicans and outside observers believe Rubio could appeal beyond the most MAGA-aligned voters, and donors have urged him to consider running, he has publicly downplayed the speculation and stayed focused on his dual roles. His association with the administration’s foreign policy, including the Iran war, still exposes him to the same issues facing other senior officials.

The reactions from Cruz, DeSantis, and Rubio suggest that the midterm defeat has made a smooth succession less certain and has encouraged more Republicans to position themselves for 2028. Their early moves point to an open contest, as rivals challenge Vance’s effort to establish a distinct brand.