Axios: JD Vance positions himself for a 2028 presidential run after breaking with Trump

politicsNov 5, 2026271,403

Axios reports Vice President JD Vance is laying groundwork for a 2028 presidential run by publicly distancing himself from Donald Trump, blaming the Iran war for Republicans’ big midterm losses. Vance published a long social media post that one White House insider told reporters left President Trump blindsided and sparked behind-the-scenes dispute. Trump publicly undercut Vance, saying "maybe he won't run" in 2028, according to a sample post cited in coverage. Critics and commentators in outlets such as The New Republic and The Bulwark say Vance is trying to recast himself as the MAGA heir who can deliver immigration and economic priorities without Trump’s chaos, while other posts accuse him of opportunism and of failing to oppose the war earlier. The flaring public split has prompted commentary across outlets and podcasts, and has produced immediate intra-White House tension that could reshape GOP positioning ahead of the 2028 primary season.

Greg Sargent

@gregsargent.bsky.social

Delicious: Trump already throwing Vance under bus over GOP losses, saying "maybe he won't run" in 2028. Perfect mobspeak. It's basically: "If you try to get distance from me, your 2028 run is dead." On the pod @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social is great on MAGA's crackup: newrepublic.com/article/2176...

5034h ago

ctrl+alt+RESIST27

That is the trap working perfectly. Move close and you own the losses with him. Move away and he kills your 2028 run out loud. Vance spent two years building that cage rung by rung and calling it a ladder.

upchuck66.bsky.social12

What’s perfect is that you nailed it as “perfect mobspeak,” which it is. We need to use terms just like this to remind us of what Trump really is…a cog in the wheel of the transnational Mafia & diehard criminal who belongs in ADX Florence, for treason served up in 20 ways to Sunday, NOT in the WH!

pannonica11

Vance is probably counting on trump not surviving into 2028.

Melissa6

This is delicious to me. Vance has been parading around with his petard, very proudly. Trump is about to hoist him on it. I can’t think of a person who deserves it more. He peddled some of the most vile shit the past couple of years and he won’t be able to redefine himself for the 5th time.

Agnathra5

Good. The more Vance is threatened/sidelined, the more incentive he has to undermine trump/float 25A, rinse and repeat. A virtuous circle

Melisa4

But is that true? Sounds like even the hardcore MAGAe on Truth Social are dragging him hard, and blaming him for absolutely everything. As usual, Trump is loudly claiming domination over a situation where he has absolutely no control or influence anymore.

Quoting this

Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin126

Let the circular firing squad of blame begin.

Brad Simpson122

Vance trying to distance himself from Trump the day after the midterms spelled the death of his presidential ambitions. Trump probably hates his guts now and will delight in destroying him.

capitaledgenyct.bsky.social7

His run is dead because he’s still more unlikeable than even Trump after all this

🌊Scott the Process🌊7

🍿🎻🤏 The 25th Amendment is JD's only hope for a political future and staying out of jail.

Ciudadano Caín6

Y todavía no han empezado a investigarles, va a ser tremendo.

Margaret Morgan 🇪🇺🇳🇱🇦🇺3

Loving the suggestion that Vance's close ties to the tech oligarchs are going to damage his chances in a presidential run. Hear that, Musk, Zuckerberg and Thiel? Everyone hates you. 😎

Mike Nellis

@mikenellis.bsky.social

JD Vance is trying to rewrite history and claim he opposed the Iran war from the start. Don't let him. It's total crap. He never spoke out against it, never used the power of the vice presidency to stop it, and never told the American people the truth about what's happening there.

1533h ago

Midatlantica2

If anyone tries to play that card when I’m in earshot I’ll ask for one public statement from Vance from 2022~2026 where he wasn’t warmongering against Iran. It’s like me saying I’m dieting while ordering a cheesecake for dessert

KRAS2

Is anyone really surprised that JD is being less than truthful? He has a long history of a tenuous relationship with the truth and will say anything he thinks his listener will buy.

Rodolfo1

JD Vance is a Peter Thiel crony and a Palantir lackey. JD will do whatever Thiel wants him to do. He's a paid conspirator. Hold them all accountable.

Mother Jones

@motherjones.com

JD Vance thinks he can blame the Iran war and just walk away from MAGA? Good luck. “We’ve all watched The Sopranos—the mob boss doesn’t just let you leave.” Tune into the latest edition of Stress Test, where @davidcorn.bsky.social + @garrisonhayes.bsky.social break down the GOP snake pit.

1403h ago

greg-higgins.bsky.social1

Fuck no, we need to CONSTANTLY hold him attached the the Iran War and the Trump-Epstein Files! We will make sure of that!

Xela Hart

@xelahart.bsky.social

As wily an operator as he is, it’s too late for him to disown the movement: As Trump’s vice president, he is one of its main inheritors. So he is trying to rescue MAGA from the president. newrepublic.com/article/2176...

1193h ago

Philo of Alexan4

He is trying to bail out a sinking ship with a leaking teacup

dogman64.bsky.social3

But the stench will remain forever

Paul Jefferson3

Vance is unelectable as President; he has no personality or charisma, The only way he succeeds is if Trump passes and he becomes president by default.

Orel McKawkholster2

The biggest? That's a pretty competitive field!

Feed The Opposition1

JD will be an * in the trash heap of history.

Rooddog1

Two things. JD: *no one likes you. *Vivek Ramaswamy.

Daniel Gilmore

@gilmored85.bsky.social

Remember this next time Vance tries to pretend he's against the Iran War. He's just against people knowing about it.

912h ago

Richard M. Nixon

@dicknixon.bsky.social

We are being asked about this. Not Gingrich specifically, but the principle. I'm tempted to say he's cutting Vance loose, but that would imply Vance was attached to anyone or anything. Vance has no friends, and is going nowhere. His statement of yesterday exposed that once and for all.

Gingrich: The scale of the Republican defeat is so great that it makes the race for the GOP presidential nomination wide open.

If the administration had won a big victory, Vice President J D Vance would have had an enormous argument to be the inevitable nominee.

Now, with this go-slow strategy blowing up in Iran and his defense of Vivek Ramaswamy's horrible, inhumane ad featuring his opponent's mother attacking her own daughter, a good bit of the luster has come off the bloom.

The number of people who want to draft Secretary of State Marco Rubio is staggering.

In addition, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Ron DeSantis, Pete Hegseth, Glenn Youngkin, and a surprising number of people may decide this is their chance to take advantage of the chaos of the shocking defeat and seek to be the champion who can rescue the party and the country.

1101h ago

Richard M. Nixon47

It was written more like he was Secretary of Commerce to President Kemp than the sitting Vice President. He's in the same position as Hubert was, or Kamala Harris, and Hubert was the only real politician out of all of them. Vance probably was against the war. No one will care.

hoptimus10

as a VA resident and a Democrat, sir, I cannot possibly recommend enough that Republicans nominate Glenn Youngkin in 2028

WildPartyInviteDecliner4

At this moment in time I do not believe there is any GOP candidate that could beat a competent Democratic candidate. Obviously a lot can and will change in 2 years.

Constantine2

Thinking Glenn Youngkin has a shot is very funny

essbee7132

Cruz, Cotton, DeSantis... needs more JEB!

Anonymous Bureaucrat1

Problem with the party becoming a cult is nearly every high profile Republican is tied to the WH in some way. If the midterm had been a 2018 redux, maybe they could wash some of the stink off. But after this? If this was a multiparty system, the party would be staring directly into the grave

Quoting this

Sean T. Collins11

Newt Gingrich just put out a whole post about the present and future of the Republican Party that doesn't use the word "Trump" at all. From the perspective of said Republican Party, which until 36 hours ago was unquestionably a gigantic personality cult: Is that good?

Nate Schenkkan3

(Gingrich soft-endorsing Rubio here, I'll note)

cpuk (trampoline park connoisseur and occasional comic printer)3

PETE HEGSETH? Newt you are drunk.

Nicholas Grossman

@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social

JD Vance blamed Trump’s Iran war for Republicans’ big midterm loss. Partially right. Though notice how he didn’t blame corruption, ICE, bigotry, or tech oligarchs, all of which he likes. Will Trump tolerate dissent like this? That’d be out of character. Which point to MAGA infighting and a split.

861h ago

Michael B Lehrhoff4

Vance's deal with the devil is coming due, and he's desperately trying to avoid the consequences. Sorry, JD, you gotta dance with the guy who brung ya.

Memnon of Rhodes2

If only JD Vance was appointed to a position where he could advise the President.

Jason2

As Trump’s VP, Vance has only one track to the 2028 GOP nomination - as heir to Trump. He’s now worried that’s a losing path. And we know he’s not making a moral stand because he’s only choosing to speak up publicly the day after the election losses.

Carolannie1

Vance is counting on Thiel, not Trump

amart865.bsky.social1

JD was lying. He is trying to save MAGA and save himself by deflecting blame. No dice. The war was a big factor, but the real blame belongs to MAGA and everyone who falsely believed it's a real governing philosophy.

Dr. Mar

@boldnewme.bsky.social

JD Vance is completely out of touch with reality. Mocking a decorated, disabled American veteran for doing her job in the Senate says far more about his own character than it ever could about hers. Maybe he’s not just out of touch; maybe he’s completely disconnected from decency.

JD Vance @JDVance
Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during this hearing is like watching Forest Gump argue with Isaac Newton.
VoteVets
VV
@votevets
It's disgusting to see the Vice President denigrate a decorated U.S. Veteran. We're proud to stand with @SenDuckworth. Every American should.
Congressman Shri Thanedar C
@RepShriThanedar
Imagine watching Forrest Gump and your takeaway is to mock people with disabilities.
Tim Miller • @Timodc
JD smeared the corpse of a US citizen who was killed by his administration and then went silent rather than correct the record. He has reemerged to do a poor man's version of Trump's insult comedy bit.

363h ago

Martijon1

He compared Marco Rubio to Isaac Newton. That is very funny.

Nobammer1

He is the personification of the banality of evil.

General Strike

@ivanasstaircam.bsky.social

Whenever you hear JD Vance talking about anything, remember it’s Peter Thiel with his hand up his backside.

393h ago

0b1

Whenever he opens his mouth I just hear some version of that fucking donut order.

twitterkwitter.bsky.social1

Backside? You’re getting very genteel😂

MJ (left-wing transgender witch)🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈1

JD Vance is probably still curled up in a fetal position sucking his thumb. 👍

tomwellborn3rd

@wellborn.net

Vance blames Iran because Iran is Trump's war, and he's already auditioning to be the guy who wasn't in the room. But the border counties flipped because ICE was beating and shooting their neighbors, and JD cheered every step. Nobody forgot, you couch-humping weasel.

233h ago

Picture This Post

@picturethispost.com

Desperate JD Vance Rebrands Himself by Converting to Islam I have been urged to remind all that live in a fox hole or whose brains are addled by daily ketamine that this-- like all Borowitz articles-- are satire.

164h ago

Meidas Ian 🇬🇧

@lordye.bsky.social

Can't handle common opinion, Hot Wheels Abbott, Iran, Vance, Hegseth, election results, health issues, aircraft steps, Putin, frivolous lawsuit results, impeachment

103h ago

Democratic Activists

@democratswin.bsky.social

NO! He’s a POS and must be removed, arrested and imprisoned; TRUMP IS RESPONSIBLE JD Vance calls Iran war into question as Thomas Massie files eight articles of impeachment 👉 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

103h ago

Alex Shephard

@alexshephard.bsky.social

"Vance is now making the case that he can give the people real Trumpism: the immigration and economic policies they want, without all the chaos, incompetence, and buffoonery." newrepublic.com/article/2176...

62h ago

Michael Byron #Fella

@michaelby.bsky.social

www.wsj.com/politics/pol... Vance is trying to position himself for 2028. Breaking with Trump is his opening move. I *think* Rubio might also break with Trump, then resign, for exactly the same reason--2028 Presidential race. Trump is a lame duck!

92h ago

46n2Ahead 🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦1

I want him to run so we can laugh him out of public life

xenguin47.bsky.social1

I don’t understand how they think they did anything worth running on. All of the experience they have is being spineless and creating messes. There’s nothing they can point to as an accomplishment

Marco_Esquandolas1

Rats will jump from the sinking ship

3 sources

axios.comVance takes a step toward 2028 in MAGA power play podcasts.apple.comTrump Shivs JD Vance as MAGA Crackup over Losses Gets Truly Vicious rawstory.com‘The president was blindsided’: Vance post ignites behind-the-scenes White House dispute

Axios: JD Vance positions himself for a 2028 presidential run after breaking with Trumppolitics National Popular Vote compact gains momentum after midterm statehouse winspolitics Vice President JD Vance blames Iran war for GOP midterm lossespolitics Democrats flip dozens of U.S. House seats, retake the House majoritypolitics

Axios: JD Vance positions himself for a 2028 presidential run after breaking with Trump

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