Trump Privately Tells Donors ‘We Need to Elect JD’ as 2028 Successor Talk Intensifies

President Donald Trump told a group of donors in a private Oval Office meeting that Vice President JD Vance should be the Republican Party’s choice to succeed him, according to multiple people familiar with the conversation.

“At the end of the day, we need to elect JD,” Trump said during the gathering roughly two weeks ago, sources told The Washington Post. A separate source familiar with the remarks confirmed the account to Fox News. The individuals spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private discussion.

The comment offers one of the clearest signals yet of Trump’s private leanings on the 2028 presidential contest, even as he has publicly declined to formally endorse a successor. The Constitution bars Trump from seeking a third term, though he has occasionally joked about remaining in office and has kept public speculation alive about potential heirs.

Trump has frequently mentioned both Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as strong contenders. He has described Vance as “most likely” his preferred successor in past comments, citing the vice president’s current role, while also praising Rubio’s performance in multiple high-profile administration positions. In recent months, Trump has asked advisers and others around him for comparisons between the two men and has floated the idea of a Vance-Rubio ticket.

Advisers cautioned that the private donor remark does not necessarily mean Trump has made a final decision. One official familiar with the president’s thinking told the Post that anyone assuming the matter is settled “is just getting way ahead of themselves, or just doesn’t know the president very well.” Another adviser said Trump has privately concluded that Vance will serve as the party’s heir but noted it remains too early for a public endorsement or for Vance to formally launch a campaign.

Vance has spent recent months elevating his profile through fundraising as the Republican National Committee’s finance chair, media appearances, and involvement in foreign policy matters, including efforts related to Iran. Rubio has similarly expanded his influence, handling key diplomatic and national security portfolios that have kept him highly visible within the administration.

In a public appearance with donors in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, Trump made a brief positive reference to Vance, highlighting “the war on fraud led by our great Vice President JD Vance: He’s doing a great job.” The private Oval Office comment went further by explicitly urging support for Vance’s eventual candidacy.

The succession discussion comes amid early positioning within Republican circles for the post-Trump era. Vance has cultivated relationships with major donors through his RNC role and other networks, while some traditional Republican contributors have continued to view Rubio favorably based on his longer political record. Trump has repeatedly emphasized that both men remain valuable members of his team and that the formal process of selecting a 2028 nominee remains distant.

No public response from Vance or Rubio to the specific donor remarks was immediately available. The private endorsement, even if preliminary, is likely to influence donor calculations and internal party dynamics as attention gradually shifts toward the next presidential cycle.