President Donald Trump dodged a question about whether he'll endorse Vice President JD Vance in the 2028 presidential election with Vance standing right behind him.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday while announcing a new whistleblower rewards program, Trump was asked by a reporter if he could remark on the fact that "the vice president said in an interview yesterday that he thought that you would endorse him if he does decide to run in 2028."
The question stemmed from Vance’s interview with journalist Mark Halperin, during which Vance said he expected Trump to endorse him in the 2028 presidential race, though not necessarily right away. Vance, who currently leads polling on the Republican nomination, also said that he and Trump had never discussed the possibility.
Trump interrupted the reporter and said:
“Well, I tell you this, he’s a very talented person, and he’s a very good person, but we’ve, literally, I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it."
When Vance pointed out “No, sir, I said that too,” Trump added:
“You know, who would believe that? I don’t talk about it with him; he doesn’t talk about it…”
“It’s early, very early right now; we have to get through the midterms, see how it goes."
You can watch what happened in the video below.
People had thoughts after the awkward exchange, noting that Trump's answer speaks volumes.
Things just don't seem to be looking up for Vance.
Rumors continue to swirl that he may not run in the 2028 election after The Daily Mail, citing multiple sources, reported that Vance had become "more isolated than ever" following former intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard’s departure.
Before the war with Iran began in February, Vance was reportedly the lone senior official arguing for a more limited response rather than a broader military campaign, warning that a larger operation risked igniting a wider regional war. As Vance’s standing has diminished, the influence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly grown.
A source told the Mail that "rumors are also circulating in the West Wing that Vance is weighing whether to step back from the 2028 race entirely as a tactical move" and that it might be better for Vance not to "own everything that's gone on in the last couple of years."
Vance's team pushed back against the Mail's reporting, telling The Independent that the publication's story was "just a flimsy compilation of completely illegitimate sources who have no idea what they're talking about." Trump, meanwhile, news outlets confirmed at the time, had still not confirmed whether Vance has his endorsement.
@chefbenqc/Threads
@the_tre_haus; beckysolwold/Threads
Ron Jarvis/Facebook
@kasialove/Bluesky
Barbara Boetsch/Facebook
@maupt68/Threads
@leftofliberal2025/Threads
@pattistraus/Threads
@sugarpillseattle/Threads
@BlueJock/X
@SentientHaze133/X
@DivinyPete/X
@SeanCasten/X
@IAmJoeTrudeau/X
@sensiblemiddle/X