JD Vance rises as MAGA heir apparent

When President Donald Trump announced JD Vance as his vice presidential pick, he hailed him as someone who would "do everything he can to help me make America great again." But while Vance played the well-established role of campaign pitbull during the race, he has since kept a comparatively lower public profile compared to the televised bombast of other Cabinet members or favored presidential advisers. When asked in February if Vance was his successor to lead the MAGA movement in 2028, Trump demurred, saying it was too early to speculate, while affirming his VP was "very capable."

This week, however, Trump was noticeably more enthusiastic about Vance's future. He called him "most likely, in all fairness," his MAGA successor and "probably favorite at this point."

In 'pole position' with the MAGA base

Trump's qualified endorsement of Vance "appeared to be his strongest public backing" for the vice president's "political future," The New York Times said. By suggesting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "maybe would get together with JD" as well, Trump signaled a "shift in his thinking over time," after having previously "floated both Vance and Rubio as possible successors" in May. While Trump has "singled out" both men in the past, he has "mostly avoided choosing a favorite," said CBS News.

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Vance has "increasingly become one of the president's chief problem solvers," said CNN, with the vice president often involving himself in the administration's "key priorities" right as they "reach their thorniest points." The role has placed Vance in "pole position with the MAGA base early on," even if it also risks "dooming his chances down the road" with a "broader electorate" growing frustrated with the Trump administration. Trump holds "considerable influence with the Republican base," and any signs that he's picked a successor "carries significant implications," said Reuters. That the president has "not hesitated to give Vance high-visibility assignments" is matched by Vance's eagerness to do Trump's "bidding" on everything from "his relationship with Ukraine" to the "fight over records related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal," said The Associated Press.

'Thanking his lucky stars'

Vance's growing public profile comes as the Trump administration struggles to contain the spiraling fallout from the ongoing Epstein scandal, which has engulfed the Justice Department and piqued the furor of the party's MAGA base. Given Trump's well-documented relationship with Epstein, Vance is "playing the part of the good soldier" while observing how Trump's "bumbling" has pulled the president into the "conspiratorial narrative" surrounding the Epstein saga, said USA Today. The vice president is likely "thanking his lucky stars" for Trump's handling of the case as he watches the president dig his "Epstein hole deeper and deeper."

Opportunism and an increased profile aside, polling suggests Vance's popularity has "steadily declined" since he assumed office, Newsweek said. While his appeal is "hardening among conservatives," it has eroded among "moderates, liberals, younger voters and communities of color."