Exclusive: Donald Trump Jr. Considering a Run For President in 2028
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
When President Donald Trump sat down for an interview with Fox News last month, anchor Bret Baier asked what should have been a softball question: “Do you view Vice President JD Vance as your successor, the Republican nominee in 2028?”
Trump’s response was glaring.
“No, but he’s very capable,” the president said matter-of-factly. “I mean, I don’t think that it, you know, I think you have a lot of very capable people. So far, I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early, we’re just starting.”
The ease with which Trump threw his vice president under the bus came as a shock to observers who expected Vance to carry on the MAGA torch when Trump leaves office in 2028.
But it came as little surprise to several in Trump’s inner circle, who spoke with Mediaite on condition of anonymity and said the remarks reflected the president’s desire to keep his dynasty alive past the expiration of his own second term in the White House.
Three high-level sources told Mediaite that Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son and an omnipresent MAGA evangelist across the internet, is seriously considering a run for president in 2028.
“Don has been the most politically involved of all the Trump kids and has always kept the lanes open for a presidential run,” one White House insider and close friend of the Trump family said. “He is a valued voice for his father, and a real possibility to be a contender in 2028.”
Trump Jr. boasts his own loyal following, a successful show on Rumble, and a strong presence on social media with more than 14.6 million followers on X. He serves as a key advisor to his father – he was credited with advocating for Trump to choose Vance as his running mate – and hit the campaign trail aggressively in the run up to the 2024 election.
“Don Jr. has long been a key voice in influencing cabinet picks, policy, and potential endorsements,” the Trump insider said. “He has also consistently been the most active on the campaign trail for the president as well as his endorsed candidates.”
Another Trump family friend concurred.
“One hundred percent he will run, but only for president not VP,” they said. “He is older and more experienced than JD. In about a year, real conversations will start about him running. At this point, it’s too soon, and he doesn’t want to start a battle with JD, especially since they are friends.”
Trump Jr. denied he is considering a run for 2028 in a statement to Mediaite:
I accurately predicted that my buddy JD would be an instant power player in national GOP politics, so your theory is that I worked my ass off to help get him the VP nomination because I want to run for president in 2028? Are you fucking retarded? I’m actually glad you’re printing this bullshit though because at least now the rest of the press corps will see how shitty your “sources” are and how easily you’re played by them. Congrats, moron.
One sign of Trump Jr.’s political ambitions is his growing involvement in the current administration’s diplomatic efforts – a considerable expansion of his prior role as a campaign surrogate for his father.
In January, Trump Jr. traveled to Greenland with Sergio Gor, now the director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, soon after Trump said he wanted the United States to annex the autonomous territory. Last week, he hosted the leader of the opposition party in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado, on his Rumble show Triggered just after the president targeted the Nicolás Maduro regime by tightening rules on the country’s oil production.
One source told Mediaite that other major international trips are being planned for Trump Jr. in the near future.
As for the president himself, one Trump official said he has started to look highly upon his son and his political prowess. “The president has proudly praised his son, declaring him exceptionally skilled at politics and a natural force on the campaign trail,” the official said.
“The President and Don Jr. think JD is a great supporting character,” one family friend added. “Don wants to do what is best for the country.”
The question of Trump’s successor is a tricky one to navigate for Vance, who sources said is dead set on running in the next presidential election. One source said both Vance and his wife Usha Vance were taken aback by Trump’s comments to Fox.
“It is very clear that both Usha and JD were very upset about the President’s comments on an endorsement for 2028,” the source said.“It is important to consider how the mind of Donald Trump works… there’s nothing he enjoys more than creating a platform for competition for those vying for his endorsement.”
Trump Jr. has weighed in on the prospect before. In January, he was asked about a poll that showed him leading the 2028 Republican primary field. “Oh, God. No, no, no, don’t get me into trouble,” he said. “We have to worry about this. Now, we have to govern. We have to win, we have to fight. We have to get it done, we have to deliver on our promises.”
Curiously enough, multiple sources said Trump Jr. would not be his father’s first choice for a successor. They said that if Trump could pick any of his children to carry on the family legacy it would be Barron Trump, the 18-year-old New York University freshman.
Aside from Ivanka Trump, the administration official said, the youngest son is the family favorite: “Barron is seen as the true ‘golden child,’ even outshining Ivanka in the eyes of many.”
“Many have argued that Barron has the brightest political future,” said one family friend of the Trumps, “but with any possibility of being his successor decades away,” the choice would likely fall to Trump Jr. next.
