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Republicans turn on JD Vance after midterm rout

politicsNov 9, 2026312,621

Republicans are distancing themselves from Vice President JD Vance’s nascent 2028 bid after heavy midterm losses, The New Republic reports. The Wall Street Journal reported that as results rolled in Vance received a text from a confidant advising him to consider sitting out the next presidential race. Within 24 hours of polls closing a veteran New York fundraiser said deep-pocketed donors called to say they could not back a Trump administration candidate after the electoral rebuke. Vance has blamed the war in Iran for the losses, but donors and operatives say he is tainted by association; reporters quoted Donald Trump saying “a lot of people didn’t like his comments” about the Iran war. Republican operatives are pivoting toward Florida figures, with Axios reporting phone traffic to Senator Marco Rubio and that Governor Ron DeSantis has positioned himself for a 2028 run; Rubio denied plans to step down while his aides said his phone “blew up” with encouragement to run. The immediate consequence is growing donor and operative momentum behind Florida prospects rather than Vance, increasing pressure on Vance to stand down ahead of a formal 2028 campaign decision.

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