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U.S. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that Republicans face an “uphill climb” in next month’s midterm elections — and that the results may be a data point he reviews as he decides whether to run for president in 2028, NBC News reported.
“Historically there’s always a bit of an uphill climb, and I think you definitely sense that,” Vance said in an interview with NBC News. “I also think you can sense a sense of cautious optimism, in the sense that, you know, people feel like the numbers are sort of moving, maybe in our direction.”
He added: “Politically, there’s just a recognition that it’s always going to be hard to win a midterm when you have the White House, the Senate and the House.”
Vance spoke aboard Air Force Two shortly after it landed on a return trip from Lakeland, Florida, where he campaigned for Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor. It was his latest headlining gig at a rally meant to boost support for the party’s candidates in what is expected to be a challenging year for the GOP.
Aside from the historical trends Vance mentioned, polls have shown President Donald Trump and the war in Iran highly unpopular among voters. A related rise in gas prices has added to a cascade of affordability concerns. And Americans are growing more skeptical of artificial intelligence and the large, power-hungry data centers being built to accommodate the technology. All of those issues could factor into voters’ choices in this fall’s key races for the House, the Senate and governor.
Vance, 42, has said consistently that his focus is on his job as vice president and on helping his party through the midterms — and that any decision about running to succeed Trump in 2028 won’t come until after then.
Asked Thursday whether a poor showing for Republicans on Nov. 3 would factor into his thinking, Vance replied: “You make these decisions by collecting as much information and trying to make a wise decision. And yeah, I mean, regardless of what happens over the next 35 days, there will be new information, new things you have to make a decision over.”
Could substantial GOP losses convince him that the climate might not be favorable for him to run for president? Vance was noncommittal. “Right now, I try not to think too much in hypotheticals,” he said. “I’m just going to try to do as well as I can and encourage people to elect the candidates that I think are good. The American people make that decision, and when they do, then yeah, I’ll have some new information to consider.”