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NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza said during a Thursday live stream on his YouTube channel that Vice President JD Vance is a formidable potential 2028 presidential candidate whom Democrats underestimate “at their own peril.”
An Emerson College poll published Thursday showed Vance with a 46 percent favorability rating, leading several prominent Republicans and Democrats, including potential 2028 contenders.
Reacting to the poll on X, Cillizza said the numbers reinforced his belief that Democrats fail to grasp “Vance’s appeal,” a point he reiterated during his live stream.
“I’m pretty bullish on JD Vance,” Cillizza said. “I think Democrats underestimate JD Vance at their own peril, which I think they’re doing.”
Cillizza also said earlier in the broadcast that he believes Donald Trump Jr. is the only Republican who could potentially defeat Vance for the 2028 GOP nomination.
However, Cillizza added that he does not expect the president’s son to run against Vance, noting that the two are friends.
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said in August that Vance appeared to be in a strong position to secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
Enten cited Vance’s large advantage in early polling and the historical success rate of sitting vice presidents when seeking their party’s nomination.
“Look, this is early polling, but look, for the GOP nomination, it’s JD Vance at 40 percent,” Enten said. “There’s no one even close to him.”
Enten noted that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was polling at eight percent, while Donald Trump Jr. was at seven percent.
“Keep in mind that early favorites have actually gone on to win the nomination 63 percent of the time, those who have run since 1980,” Enten said.
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President Donald Trump said during an August White House ceremony that Vance was “probably favored” to carry the Make America Great Again movement into 2028.
Trump also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form.”
Rubio told Vanity Fair in an interview published Tuesday that if Vance runs in 2028, “he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him.”
Rubio said on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump” in July that “JD Vance would be a great nominee” if he were to seek the presidency.
Political analyst Mark Halperin said on Fox News’ “Special Report” in May that Vance and Rubio could ultimately lead the Republican ticket.
“I really do think JD Vance and Marco Rubio could end up being a preordained ticket in 2028, unlike we’ve ever seen before,” Halperin said.
An Emerson College hypothetical poll conducted in October showed Vance holding a one-point lead over Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a potential 2028 general election matchup.
