Vice President JD Vance has acknowledged that he may ultimately decide against running for president in 2028, as a new poll suggests many Americans believe President Trump and his administration are taking the country in the wrong direction.
Speaking during an hour-long CBS News town hall on Saturday, Vance, 42, said there was “certainly” a possibility he would not seek the Republican nomination to succeed Trump.
“Of course there’s a chance,” Vance said. “We’ve got four little kids, my wife has never loved politics. She loves public service.”
His comments came as a bleak NBC News poll found that 71 percent of adults believe the United States is on the “wrong track,” with Election Day now just over two weeks away.
Vance said he would wait until after the midterm elections before deciding whether to begin a 2028 presidential campaign.
“The way that I think about life, big life decisions — my wife will tell you this: I’m a procrastinator. I hate thinking about it,” Vance said.
He added that once the election was over, he would “have to think about it, then I will actually have to make a decision.”
“You know, anything can happen, man,” Vance said.
Vice President JD Vance said during a Saturday CBS News town hall that he may not run for president in 2028
Vance said he may decide not to seek the presidency after Trump, as polls indicate Republicans could face major losses in the midterm elections
Multiple polls currently place Vance at the front of the field for the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nomination, with Marco Rubio ranking behind him.
But while Vance leads among Republican voters, NBC’s polling indicates that advantage may not translate nationally, with widespread dissatisfaction over the Trump administration.
Just 28 percent of those surveyed said Trump’s policies were helping the country. By contrast, 58 percent said the policies were hurting the United States, while 14 percent believed they were having no significant effect.
A separate poll found that 55 percent of voters would back Democratic candidates if the congressional elections were held today.
Democrats have forecast a “blue wave” — or even a “blue tsunami” — that could deliver control of both the House and Senate, leaving Trump to face two years of legislative gridlock and congressional investigations.
READ MORE: Prince Harry’s Sentebale Defamation Claim Paused Over Legal Costs
Most political analysts expect Democrats to win the House, with the main uncertainty being the size of their majority. The Senate, however, presents a more difficult challenge.
Republicans currently control 53 seats in the Senate, compared with 47 held by Democrats.
“Of course there’s a chance. We’ve got four little kids, my wife has never loved politics. She loves public service,” Vance said when asked whether he might choose not to run for president
A woman at Washington, DC’s Lincoln Memorial encourages Democrats to vote in the midterm elections
Thirty-five Senate seats will be contested on November 3, including 22 currently held by Republicans.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats because, in a Senate split 50-50, Vance would hold the tie-breaking vote.
As Election Day looms closer, the vice president has repeatedly shut down questions about his political future.
But on October 1, he eagerly dished out an obvious jab at one of his potential 2028 GOP rivals, Ted Cruz.
‘It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president,’ Vance told NBC News.
‘At this moment, I’m not. I’m trying to help elect Republicans. That’s what I’m going to keep on doing.’
Vance and Cruz were Senate colleagues before Vance was nominated to become Trump’s running mate.
Cruz was Trump’s most formidable GOP challenger in the 2016 campaign and was the last to drop out, after Trump received 45 percent of Republican support while the Texan received just 25 percent.
While Cruz is not on the ballot this year – his term runs through 2030 – he has been campaigning in swing states, including Iowa and South Carolina, both early presidential primary states, to fundraise for the GOP ahead of this year’s elections.
The Texas senator’s presidential ambitions are seen as a long shot.