JD Vance, who is currently the Vice President of the United States, is becoming a popular choice among Republican voters who are already thinking about who they want to run for president in 2028. A recent poll shows that he is pulling far ahead of Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president. This suggests that more and more people in the Republican Party are starting to see Vance as a strong potential leader for the future.
The poll was done by McLaughlin & Associates between June 10 and June 15. It asked 1,000 voters, including 455 Republicans, about their preferences. JD Vance received support from 36% of Republicans. That’s a big lead compared to Donald Trump Jr., who only got 14%. Earlier this year, the gap between them was much smaller, so this new poll shows how much Vance’s popularity has grown in a short time.
At this point, neither Vance nor Trump Jr. has officially announced they are running for president in 2028. However, both of them have made comments that suggest they might be interested. Many political experts and people in the media, especially those who follow conservative politics, are talking about both of them as likely candidates.
Back in January, JD Vance had 27% support, and Donald Trump Jr. had 21%, which means they were pretty close. But after that, Vance became more popular. By April, he had reached a high of 43%, and although his numbers dropped slightly since then, he still holds a strong lead. This growth in support means that more types of voters are starting to like him. He’s especially popular among conservatives, white voters, Hispanic Republicans, and older people over the age of 55. He is also doing better than Trump Jr. among both men and women, which shows that he appeals to a wide range of people within the party.
Trump Jr. still has loyal fans, especially people who were strong supporters of his father. He also has some support from moderate Republicans. But in general, his numbers have gone down. Since December, his support dropped from 21% to 14%. He is not doing well with older voters or conservatives, which are both important groups if someone wants to win the Republican nomination.
Other possible Republican candidates, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy, aren’t doing nearly as well. DeSantis is at 6%, Haley at 4%, and Ramaswamy at 2%. Haley does have some support from more liberal Republicans, but there aren’t many of those in the party.
JD Vance has been careful when talking about the idea of running for president. In an interview, he said he would talk to the current president when the time comes and that if he focuses on doing his job well, everything else will work out. He also said he doesn’t spend much time thinking about what might happen in three or four years. Later, he told another reporter that even if he decides to run, he knows he’s not automatically owed anything just because of his current position.
Donald Trump Jr. has said publicly that he’s not really interested in running for office. In 2023, he told a reporter from The Times of London that politics isn’t for him and that he’ll leave it to other people in his family. But his actions sometimes tell a different story. He keeps going to major conservative political events, like CPAC and Turning Point USA, which makes people wonder if he’s still thinking about running. At an event in May, he was asked about possibly running for president and said, “maybe one day.” He added that it was an honor to be asked and that he would always speak out about political issues, especially the ones his father cares about.
Right now, it’s still early, and nobody knows when any of these people will officially say they are running for president in 2028. But if things continue the way they’re going, JD Vance is looking like the favorite to win the Republican nomination, at least for now. His strong support across different groups in the party gives him a good head start, even before any official campaigns have begun.
