Succeeding Trump: 6 Republican potential presidential hopefuls to keep your eyes on in 2028

The 2028 statesmanlike election seems similar a agelong mode away, but successful reality, the aboriginal moves are already underway by immoderate Democrats with apt nationalist ambitions.

And 1 Republican person is already selling 2028 merchandise.

"Trump 2028" hats are disposable for $50 and T-shirts that read, "Trump 2028 (Re-write the Rules)," merchantability for $36 connected the Trump Organization's website. 

But the rules are rather clear: The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution restricts presidents to 2 presumption successful office. 

And aft months of flirting with moving for a 3rd word successful the White House, President Donald Trump appears to beryllium ruling retired different campaign.

WHERE TRUMP STANDS WITH AMERICANS 4 MONTHS INTO HIS 2ND TERM

President Donald Trump, shown delivering the commencement code astatine the U.S. Military Academy graduation ceremonial astatine West Point, New York, connected May 24, 2025, seemed to regularisation retired moving for a 3rd word successful a caller interview. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite touting beardown enactment successful the MAGA satellite for a 2028 tally for re-election, the president successful an interrogation this period connected NBC News' "Meet the Press" said, "I'm not looking astatine that."

"I’ll beryllium an eight-year president," Trump added. "I’ll beryllium a two-term president. I ever thought that was precise important." 

But Trump's 2028 flirtations, which helium said weren't a joke, and his sweeping moves since the commencement of his 2nd circuit of work successful the White House are keeping the spotlight firmly connected him, averting immoderate lame-duck speech and putting a damper connected immoderate aboriginal moves by those successful the Republican Party hoping to win the president.

DEMOCRATS EYE 2028 JUST MONTHS INTO TRUMP'S 2ND TERM

The contention for the adjacent GOP statesmanlike information won't get underway until Trump's acceptable to stock the spotlight, and helium precocious said it's "far excessively early" to statesman holding those discussions.

But Trump besides added, "I’m looking to person 4 large years and crook it implicit to somebody, ideally a large Republican, a large Republican to transportation it forward."

With that successful mind, here's a look astatine the imaginable 2028 Republican White House contenders.

Vice President JD Vance

Vice President JD Vance (Stephanie Scarbrough/Associated Press)

Vice President JD Vance appears to beryllium the heir evident to the "America First" question and the Republican Party's almighty MAGA base. It was a constituent driven location by Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, MAGA rockstar and almighty state of the vice president.

"We are getting 4 much years of Trump and past 8 years of JD Vance," Trump Jr. said connected the run way successful Ohio a fewer weeks up of the November 2024 election.

As sitting vice president, Vance enjoys plentifulness of perks that could boost him to frontrunner status. Among them, a ample unit that comes with the job, and Air Force Two, which helium has repeatedly utilized to marque stops crossed the U.S. and the globe since the commencement of the 2nd Trump administration.

And Vance is present concern seat of the Republican National Committee, the archetypal sitting vice president to clasp specified a presumption with a nationalist enactment committee. The posting puts Vance successful predominant interaction with the GOP's apical donors.

But portion Trump has hinted that Vance could beryllium his successor and called him "a fantastic, superb guy" successful the "Meet the Press" interview, helium has avoided anointing his vice president arsenic the party's adjacent nominee.

Vance has taken nary steps toward a 2028 statesmanlike tally and isn't earnestly reasoning astir it astatine this time, a root successful the vice president's governmental orbit told Fox News.

"I truly americium conscionable not focused connected politics," Vance said successful aboriginal April successful a "Fox and Friends" interview. "I'm not focused connected the midterm elections successful 2026, overmuch little the statesmanlike predetermination successful 2028. When we get to that point, I'll speech to the president. We'll fig retired what we privation to do." 

And the 40-year-old vice president added, "The mode I deliberation astir it is, if we bash a bully job, the authorities instrumentality attraction of themselves."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In his "Meet the Press" interview, too Vance, Trump besides named Secretary of State Marco Rubio arsenic a "great" imaginable GOP leader.

"Marco’s doing an outstanding job," the president said.

Rubio, a one-time rival who clashed with Trump during the combustible 2016 Republican statesmanlike information battle, became a starring Trump state successful the U.S. Senate during the president's archetypal word successful office.

And too serving arsenic caput of state, the 53-year-old erstwhile legislator from Florida is besides acting nationalist information advisor, acting caput of the National Archives and acting head of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

While Rubio's expanding portfolio successful the 2nd Trump medication is fueling speculation astir a imaginable 2028 statesmanlike bid, helium inactive faces skepticism from parts of MAGA satellite who question his "America First" credentials.

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Conservative Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was flying precocious aft a landslide re-election successful 2022, but an unsuccessful 2024 statesmanlike superior tally and a bruising conflict with Trump knocked him down successful stature.

However, the term-limited 46-year-old governor, who has a twelvemonth and a fractional near successful bureau steering Florida, proved successful the past fewer years his fundraising prowess and retains plentifulness of supporters crossed the country.

DeSantis was besides able, to a degree, to repair relations with Trump, helped rise wealth for the GOP summons during the wide predetermination and earned a prime-time speaking slot astatine the 2024 Republican convention. And successful December 2024, the politician was seen arsenic a imaginable replacement erstwhile now-Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's information concisely faltered.

While DeSantis is definite to inactive harbor nationalist ambitions, his feud this twelvemonth with the Republican-dominated Florida legislature and the contention implicit a foundation tied to Florida archetypal woman Casey DeSantis are seen arsenic imaginable hurdles.

Virginia Gov Glenn Youngkin

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

Thanks to his 2021 gubernatorial victory, the archetypal by a Republican successful Virginia successful a twelve years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became a GOP rising star.

In Virginia, governors are constricted to 1 four-year term, which means Youngkin has 7 months near successful office.

The 58-year-old governor, who hails from the Republican Party's concern helping but has been capable to thrive successful a MAGA-dominated party, apt harbors nationalist ambitions. 

And Youngkin's travel to Iowa, the authorities that for a fractional period has kicked disconnected the GOP's statesmanlike nominating calendar, successful July to header a authorities enactment fundraising gala is sparking 2028 speculation.

Asked successful precocious 2024 successful a Fox News Digital interrogation astir a White House run, Youngkin pointed to his occupation arsenic governor, saying, "I request to decorativeness beardown truthful Virginia tin truly proceed to soar. And that’s what I’m going to walk my clip on."

After that, helium said, "We’ll spot what’s next."

Georgia Gov Brian Kemp

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

The fashionable blimpish politician is 1 of the fewer successful the GOP who tin assertion helium faced Trump's wrath and not lone survived, but thrived.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited, has 2 years near successful bureau and enjoys beardown favorable ratings successful a important battleground state.

Kemp was heavy recruited by nationalist Republicans to tally successful 2026 to effort and flip a Democrat-controlled Senate seat. And the announcement earlier successful May by the 61-year-old politician that helium would walk connected a 2026 Senate run, fueled buzz that Kemp whitethorn alternatively beryllium mulling a 2028 White House run.

Asked successful November 2024 astir a imaginable statesmanlike run, Kemp told Fox News Digital, "I effort to support each doors unfastened successful politics."

Sen Ted Cruz

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

Sen. Ted Cruz was the runner-up to Trump successful the blockbuster 2016 Republican statesmanlike battle.

The arguable blimpish firebrand passed connected challenging Trump again successful 2024 arsenic helium ran for what was thought to beryllium different hard re-election bid aft narrowly surviving his 2018 re-election.

However, the 54-year-old legislator ended up winning a 3rd six-year word successful the Senate by astir 9 points.

Since the commencement of Trump's 2nd administration, Cruz has reaffirmed his blimpish credentials by voicing absorption to the president's arguable tariffs.

Honorable mentions

Among the others to support an oculus connected is Nikki Haley. 

The erstwhile two-term South Carolina governor, who served arsenic U.N. ambassador successful Trump's archetypal term, was the archetypal GOP challenger to leap into the contention against the erstwhile president successful the 2024 information race. 

Haley outlasted the remainder of the field, becoming the last challenger to Trump earlier ending her White House bid successful March 2024.

While the 53-year-old Haley ended up backing Trump successful the wide election, her earlier clashes with the president during the primaries near their mark. Even though she addressed the GOP faithful astatine the 2024 convention, her governmental aboriginal successful a enactment dominated by Trump is uncertain.

Also, not to beryllium discounted are 3 politicians who considered but passed connected 2024 runs: Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Josh Hawley of Missouri and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

And too Haley, we'll enactment 3 different 2024 candidates connected the ample database of imaginable 2028 contenders. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is the Republican frontrunner successful the 2026 run for Ohio politician but apt inactive has beardown nationalist ambitions.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is simply a precise disposable subordinate successful Trump's Cabinet.

And erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence, erstwhile asked earlier this period by Fox News Digital if helium mightiness see different White House run, reiterated that helium intends to "be a voice" for accepted and blimpish values and "we’ll fto the aboriginal instrumentality attraction of itself."