Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade and Brit Hume are raising questions about Vice President JD Vance’s chances in the 2028 presidential race, suggesting his close ties to President Trump could prove to be a double-edged sword.
“I just don’t think that Vance is as popular as he thinks he is with Republicans,” Kilmeade said Wednesday during a conversation with Hume on “The Brian Kilmeade Show” on Fox News Radio.
The two were discussing the potential field of GOP contenders once Trump’s second term ends. Kilmeade asked whether the Republican primary could draw a field in the double digits.
“They might,” Hume said. “The question is who are they, right? I mean, everybody talks about Rubio and Vance.”
Hume acknowledged Vance’s status as the early favorite. “I have a suspicion about Vance, he’s everybody’s ideal front-runner, and he may be,” he said.
But Hume suggested that much depends on how voters view Trump by then. “A lot depends on how the public and the party feel about Donald Trump by the time 2028 rolls around,” he said. “And if you’re as attached to the hip to Trump as indeed Vance is, it’s a good question whether that’s a liability or a benefit. I think it might end up being a liability.”
Kilmeade pushed back on that point, arguing Trump’s standing could improve as the administration advances its agenda. “I think it’s going to end differently, I actually do,” Kilmeade said, citing the administration’s handling of Iran.
Still, Kilmeade said he believes Vance could face a more competitive primary than many expect.
The conversation also touched on Secretary of State Marco Rubio, another Republican frequently floated as a potential 2028 contender. Hume also argued Democrats may struggle to build a campaign around opposition to Trump once the president is preparing to leave office.
Trump has not formally endorsed a successor. Vance acknowledged earlier this month that the president’s backing is not guaranteed.
“I think that Trump’s endorsement just carries more weight than any political endorsement in history, because of that, obviously, the voters are gonna decide,” Vance told journalist Mark Halperin. “Donald Trump is only one vote of many, but I think his endorsement is still the most powerful.”
Trump recently sidestepped a question about whether he would endorse Vance.
The 2028 conversation comes as Republicans face a difficult midterm map. Vance has been campaigning across the country ahead of Tuesday’s elections, with recent stops in Michigan and Texas.
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