RCP co-founder Tom Bevan ran down RCP’s polling average for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, which now shows Donald Trump Jr. tied for second place with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both distantly trailing Vice President J.D. Vance. “Vance has a huge lead, more than 40 points ahead. Tied for second at 10%: Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump Junior! Rubio is at 8.5, Haley is at 4.5, and RFK Jr. is around 4, with 11% undecided,” Bevan continued, Wednesday on the RCP podcast. “The conventional wisdom is Vance-Rubio, but I thought yesterday-hold on. Vance and Don Jr. are very good friends. If you want to keep the Trump magic going, why wouldn’t a Vance–Trump Jr. ticket make some sense? Maybe it does!” “The president is not having that!” Carl Cannon added. “Yesterday at the cabinet meeting, he said there are two people in this room who could be the nominee. Don Jr. wasn’t in the room. He meant JD and Marco Rubio. He ruled out his own son, so you shouldn’t be ruling his son in based on a poll!” “It’s likely to be Vance. And he demonstrated why at that cabinet meeting,” Mary Katharine Ham explained. “But I don’t think Don Jr. is entirely wishful thinking. A lot of elections now feel like vibes elections. Voters are choosing the story that makes sense to them.” “A Vance–Rubio ticket will poll better in a general election than Vance–Trump Jr., and Trump knows that,” Cannon said.
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