Vice President JD Vance added to the rumblings that he could succeed President Donald Trump in 2028 on Sunday, dishing shots at some potential opponents in the next presidential election.
Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk vowed to elect Vance as the next U.S. president during the organization’s annual AmericaFest event, a call amplified by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) during her speech. Vance hasn’t entered the race yet, though he did predict the Democratic Party will pick “a California liberal” as its presidential nominee, drawing boos from attendees.
“A California liberal who’s presided over rolling blackouts, open borders, and unchecked violent gangs. They’re just trying to settle on whether it’s going to be Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris. And in the meantime, what are the Democrats offering you in the meantime? I gotta say, ladies and gentlemen, they are not sending their best,” Vance said.
Vance proceeded to knock Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh as Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) pick for mayor of Minneapolis, jokingly mixing up the Minnesota city with Somalia capital Mogadishu. He also needled Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and her bid for a Texas Senate seat, saying her “streetgirl persona is about as real as her nails.”
The vice president said these Democratic lawmakers are all “cogs in a machine” that aim to weaken voters. He contended that while he and Trump are working to “break that machine,” the Democratic Party is still “very powerful.”
Vance also addressed the division and in-fighting within the Republican Party, some of which took place at AmericaFest. He said the late Charlie Kirk knew disagreements should be hashed out between people, and they can still “love each other” in spite of their differences.
“But winning demands teamwork, and I am honored to be on Turning Point’s team, I’m honored to be on your team, and I will stay that way,” Vance said, drawing applause from the audience.
The Washington Examiner’s Ross O’Keefe said Sunday he’s heard one strategy Erika Kirk and Turning Point will pursue in 2028 is winning over young women voters. He added that if Vance does run for president with the help of this voting bloc, it would make him “a very tough opponent.”
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Like Vance, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is speculated to be a 2028 presidential candidate, but has previously said he won’t consider this possibility until after the 2026 elections. A poll from last month put the California governor 3 points above Vance in a possible matchup.
Harris has hinted that she could pursue another White House run, previously declining to run for California governor next year. Harris ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary race before being selected as former President Joe Biden’s running mate, later losing to Trump as the presidential nominee in 2024.