Vice President J.D. Vance tested his clout within the Republican Party on Thursday with a speech at the party’s conference in Dallas, as attention turns to his political future and the possibility of a 2028 White House bid. Vance delivered his remarks in prime time, immediately before President Donald Trump’s closing speech, although he has not announced a presidential campaign.
Vance emerges among contenders to succeed Trump
Vance’s rise comes as Republicans search for a figure capable of continuing the course Trump has charted for the party, since the Constitution bars the U.S. president from seeking a third term. Trump has not named a preferred successor, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz are also emerging alongside Vance as potential 2028 contenders.
In his speech, Vance called for defending Americans’ rights and freedom of worship, saying every American child is born with rights regardless of their parents or origin. He linked birthright citizenship to next November’s elections, urging voters to elect Republicans to defend it.
Vance also credited the Trump administration with reversing the flow of migrants across the border, saying it had created 1 million new jobs and that the increase in jobs had gone to American citizens. He urged party supporters to trust what he described as the administration’s achievements over the past 18 months, and attacked the Democratic Party, calling it the “party of hate.”
Republican chants and Vance fundraising expand his profile
Conference events showed signs that Vance’s base within the party is expanding, as delegates chanted his name at a gathering of representatives from electorally pivotal states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as Ohio. Vance, who also chairs the Republican Party’s finance committee, raised about 2 million dollars for the party at a fundraising dinner held in Dallas earlier Thursday.
Some Republicans believe that Vance, 42, can continue Trump’s populist agenda, benefiting from his age and ties to activists connected to the Trump movement. Rubio, meanwhile, missed the conference because of a tour of South America, while Trump offered no decisive indication of which figure he prefers to succeed him.
Before the 2028 contest, the Republican Party faces a nearer test in the midterm elections scheduled for November, amid fears of losing its majority in one or both chambers of Congress. Party leaders are seeking to energize voters and contain concerns over the economy and the war with Iran, as Trump’s approval ratings decline.
