Rand Paul dismisses JD Vance as Trump’s successor in 2028 presidential campaign

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Rand Paul made clear on Sunday that he does not see Vice President JD Vance as the natural successor to President Donald Trump, pushing back against speculation about the GOP’s 2028 presidential field.

Appearing on ABC’s ‘This Week,’ Paul was asked by host Jonathan Karl about recent endorsements positioning Vance as an early favorite, including comments from Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a Vanity Fair profile suggesting that if Vance runs, he would earn Rubio’s early support. 

Conservative activist Erika Kirk has also publicly backed the vice president.

Paul draws line on trade, tariffs, conservative identity

Paul sidestepped naming Vance directly but made clear he rejects the direction he believes the party is heading under the vice president’s brand of politics.

“I think there needs to be representatives in the Republican Party who still believe international trade is good, who still believe in free market capitalism, who still believe in low taxes,” Paul said.

When asked by Jonathan Karl about a potential 2028 presidential bid for JD Vance, Paul said, “I'm going to continue to try to lead a conservative free market wing of the party, and we'll see where things lead over time.”

Karl pressed further, “And that's not JD Vance?”

Paul answered definitively, “No.”

The Kentucky senator criticized what he described as a growing embrace of tariffs and protectionism within the GOP, arguing it runs counter to traditional conservative principles.

“It used to separate conservatives and liberals that conservatives thought it was a spending problem,” Paul said. “We didn’t want less revenue, we wanted less spending. But now all these pro-tariff protectionists, they love taxes. And so they tax, tax, tax, and then they brag about all the revenue coming in. That has never been a conservative position.”

Paul said he intends to continue advocating for what he called a “conservative free market wing” of the party as internal debates over its future intensify.

Erika Kirk publicly endorses JD Vance 2028 campaign

Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk publicly endorsed Vice President JD Vance’s potential 2028 presidential campaign, saying she would work “in the most resounding way possible” to help him win and ensure Republican control of Congress.

Kirk, who took over leadership of Turning Point USA after her husband Charlie Kirk was killed in September, made the remarks during her speech at AmericaFest 2025, a major conservative gathering in Phoenix that drew thousands of supporters.

“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” Kirk said to cheers from the audience at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Vance has not announced a presidential bid, but many observers believe it would be a natural next step for the vice president.