Whoever comes after Donald Trump has some rather large shoes to fill in keeping MAGA alive and well far into the future. Speculation swirls around Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but who has the energy, the America First drive, and the audacity to climb higher than the guy occupying the Oval Office today? As the British might say, an heir and a spare are on the scene with the current climate in the Swamp.
Make no mistake: There will be no room for error. MAGA is largely popular because of the president's individual personality. The man connects with everyone from the soccer mom to the white-collar, blue-collar, and no-collar worker. The question of who takes up the mantle is fundamental for MAGA and the future of the Republican Party.
The president has all but declared Vance as his logical successor: "Well, I think most likely," Trump quipped with reporters about the movement that took hold of America, "In all fairness, he's the vice president." Yet in perfect Trump troll-style, he mentioned Rubio as another top contender: "I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form. It's too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he's doing a great job, and he would be, probably favorite at this point." Number 47 went further in hinting at a Vance/Rubio ticket.
It was a cacophony akin to a gaggle of Canadian geese as reporters clamored to get the vice president to comment – and JD was happy to oblige in a very amused, laid-back way. During a sit-down with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Vance explained: "My view on the politics of 2028 is I'm not really focused even on the election in 2026, much less one two years after that." He continued: "If we do a good job for the American people, the politics will take care of itself." As rebuffs go, his left folks smiling as they were essentially issued a "no comment."
MAGA Tests
President Trump has been generous in bestowing high-impact and important assignments to his second-in-command, from the fiery Oval Office meeting with – and abrupt dismissal of – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to mid-census redistricting efforts in Texas. Vance was dispatched to Indiana to meet with Gov. Mike Braun on the same subject. He has been Trump's surrogate, not only on the domestic front, but abroad as well. The hard-knock life former marine has been diplomatically tested by being charged with handling a myriad of world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a trip to New Delhi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
Vance has even waded into the controversial swirling waters of Jeffrey Epstein rumors and innuendos, backing up the president's drive to release the court documents – a place no one wants to be these days, regardless of political affiliation. "Some of that stuff takes time," Vance said, adding that Trump has been "very clear. He wants full transparency."
Vance has embraced the populist MAGA movement with fervor, and some might say the same for Rubio. The former senator has found himself on the thorny side of foreign policy and has performed well and expediently. An arrow in his quiver? He is the first person to serve as both secretary of state and national security adviser since Henry Kissinger. Rubio's presence on the main stage will likely explode in the run-up to midterms.
Yet with all the focus on the two people that Trump mentioned by name, other MAGA folks are out there perfecting their game and seeking their anointing by the master of the movement.
Never Discount the MAGA Faithful
As the press focuses solely on Vance and Rubio as the heir and the spare, it would be unwise to discount a potential run by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis or Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Neither did very well when faced with an angry MAGA electorate during the 2024 primary season – yet both have embraced a populist movement. And no one should rule out RFK Jr. surfacing somewhere in the mix.
And perhaps, just maybe, the talking heads and political pundits aren't even considering the right gender. Trump has surrounded himself with wildly competent women: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, US Attorney for DC Judge Jeanine Pirro, and Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, for example. There is an assortment of people willing to serve under the most extraordinary circumstances.
There may be many who could don Trump's size 12 Oxfords. But even if the shoe fits, there will never be another Trump with the gravitational pull of the MAGA magnitude.
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