President Donald Trump signaled his support for Vice President JD Vance to take up the Make America Great Again mantle ahead of the 2028 GOP presidential primary.
Trump stopped just short of saying that Vance was his successor when asked by a reporter whether the heir apparent to the MAGA movement is the vice president.
“Well, I think most likely. In all fairness, he’s the vice president,” said Trump, who spoke from the South Court auditorium after he signed an executive order establishing a White House task force to facilitate the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The president also appeared to support Secretary of State Marco Rubio as another successor to his MAGA movement.
“I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” Trump said. “I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here.”
“So it’s too early, obviously, to talk about it. But certainly he’s doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point,” Trump also said about Vance, who was in attendance for the executive order signing.
This is the closest the president has come to giving Vance his blessing to dominate the 2028 GOP field after attempting to downplay the question previously. As the head of the GOP, whoever Trump endorses is all but certain to be the front-runner in the race.
Before taking questions from reporters, Trump established the White House task force for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles via executive order, which he will lead. The task force will involve key officials from the Trump administration, including the vice president, Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and other department heads.
The task force will aim to ensure safety, seamless operations, and historical success for the United States.
The Olympics are expected to attract over 150 heads of state, host 11,000 Olympic and 4,500 Paralympic athletes, and involve 49 competition venues.
“[Olympic athletes will] participate in 800 competitions at 49 competition venues. This will be the equivalent of producing seven Super Bowls a day, sir, for 30 days,” said LA28 organizing committee Chairman Casey Wasserman.
The president emphasized the importance of security, water management to prevent fires, and the need for smart government policies.
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“In my first term, we were instrumental in helping the city of Los Angeles win the bid to bring the Olympic torch back to American soil,” said Trump. “And today, I will sign an executive order establishing the White House task force on the 2028 Summer Olympics, mobilizing the entire federal government to ensure the games are safe, seamless, and historically successful.”
“I think it’s going to be amazing. America is a nation of champions, and in July 2028, we’ll show the world what America does best,” Trump also boasted. “And that’s win. We’re winning like we have never won before.”