Vice President JD Vance used a prime-time speech at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas to position himself firmly as President Donald Trump’s political heir, according to reporting from the Irish Times, Gulf News and the Spokesman-Review. Delegates at the American Airlines Center greeted him with chants of ‘JD! JD!’ and ‘48’, a reference to a potential 2028 presidential bid.

The speech, delivered over 10-11 September, was one of the highest-profile moments of the two-day gathering. Vance attacked the opposition directly, telling the crowd that Democrats are the ‘party of hatred’.

The Democrats are the party of hatred. They’re the party that despises America and the people who built it.

Trump’s praise, but no formal endorsement

Trump had praised Vance the night before his address and again afterward, reportedly telling those around him, ‘What a job he did,’ according to the Spokesman-Review. It follows earlier remarks in which Trump called Vance ‘very capable’ and, when asked directly about a 2028 successor, said: ‘Well, I think most likely.’

Trump has not made a formal endorsement, and other figures remain part of the conversation, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Donald Trump Jr. A poll cited by the Irish Times found Vance is the clear favourite among likely Republican primary voters, at 43%, compared with 21% for Rubio and 7% for Trump Jr.

Rubio was notably absent from the Dallas convention, on an official trip to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Asked about his own ambitions, he said he has ‘no plans at this time’ to run for president and has previously indicated he would support Vance if he enters the race.

Political risks ahead of the midterms

Vance’s rise comes as Trump’s approval rating sits in the low-to-mid 30s, according to Gulf News reporting that cites Decision Desk HQ tracking. The administration faces public frustration over inflation and an unpopular war involving Iran, a conflict analysts say could become a liability for Vance given his association with the administration’s foreign policy.

At the convention, Trump also repeated a pledge to pay every American adult a $5,000 ‘Trump dividend’ if Republicans hold both chambers of Congress in the November midterms. Decision Desk HQ currently projects Democrats winning the House 229-206, with the Senate on a knife-edge at 50-50.

Vance himself was cautious about looking too far ahead, telling the Dallas crowd: ‘We gotta take care of business this November, then we’ll worry about what comes next.’ Republican officials in Texas expect the 2028 primary contest to effectively begin roughly 60 days after the midterm elections conclude.

I think it’s inevitable at this point that Vance will be the [GOP] nominee in 2028.

That assessment came from Senator Jim Banks of Indiana, according to Yahoo News (Axios), reflecting a broader sentiment among Republican officials at the convention. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas also delivered well-received speeches in Dallas, seen by some observers as early positioning for future roles within the party.

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