Vice President JD Vance shouldn’t be considered the automatic MAGA heir to Donald Trump, Sen. Thom Tillis said.
JD Vance says 2028 election not his focus during UK visit
JD Vance says he’s not focused on the 2028 election during his recent United Kingdom visit, despite Trump calling him a likely MAGA successor.
WASHINGTON ― The race to be President Donald Trump’s Republican successor as the party’s 2028 nominee is wide open, and Vice President JD Vance shouldn’t be considered the automatic MAGA heir apparent, Sen. Thom Tillis said.
The outgoing North Carolina U.S. senator, who opted against running for reelection in 2026, said it’s a “jump ball” in 2028 when asked in an Aug. 20 interview on CBS News whether there’s a “natural heir apparent” to Trump.
“Absolutely, jump ball,” Tillis said. “I think we’re going to probably see one of the most diverse fields for the Republican primary that we’ve seen in modern times. I don’t see any heir apparent.”
Trump on Aug. 5 said Vance is “most likely” next in line to win the 2028 Republican nomination, saying the vice president “would be probably favored at this point.”
But Tillis questioned whether that’s the case given Vance’s short career in politics. “The vice president was senator for two years. He’s been VP for seven months. So he’s got limited political exposure, political history. I mean, he’s a good guy. JD ‒ I like.”
“People hate how abrupt I am, but I’m an analytics guy,” Tillis said. “He’s one of several people who have to prove that they’ve got the chops,” Tillis said, adding that Vance is “smart, capable and articulate” and a “good dad and a good man.”
Trump is barred by the Constitution from running for a third term, yet he has said he would “like to” run again and often toys publicly about the idea of running in 2028.
Tillis, first elected to the Senate in 2014, incensed Trump and the White House this year when he publicly voiced concerns about Medicaid cuts in Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” before voting against the legislation in July. Tillis was one of three Republican senators to vote against the megabill, which Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to pass.
The race to replace Tillis is expected to be one of the most hotly contested midterm Senate elections, presenting Democrats with perhaps their best chance for a pick-up in the Senate.
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is the overwhelming favorite to secure the Democratic nomination for Senate. North Carolina Republican Party chairman Michael Whatley on Aug. 1 announced he will seek the Republican nomination after Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, passed on a potential bid.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.