Trump says 'way too early' to endorse Vance for president despite leaked comments to donors

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 06:29, 7 August 2026 | Updated: 06:56, 7 August 2026 Donald Trump shrugged off a report he's told key allies they 'need to elect' JD Vance in 2028, saying it's far too soon to get involved in the next Republican Primary.  Trump met with donors in the Oval Office recently and told them that 'at the end of the day, we need to elect JD,' The Washington Post reported, citing two people familiar with that meeting.  The President has also been 'peppering people around him with questions' on the pros and cons of both Vance and Marco Rubio, also seen as a top contender in 2028. While Trump didn't deny the comments when asked in the Oval Office Thursday, he was noncommittal when asked if the report suggested an 'official endorsement' of the Vice President. 'No. No. It's, uh - I heard about it a little while ago. I think he's great, but we're way too early to even be thinking about that. Okay?'  That same report suggested Vance wasn't necessarily the clear frontrunner either, as they cited a half dozen Trump advisors saying they don't believe the President is set on Vance just yet.  'Anyone assuming it’s a lock is just getting way ahead of themselves, or just doesn’t know the president very well,' one White House official said.  The President's endorsement could potentially clear the field for the sitting Vice President, given rumored top rival Rubio has said he would not contest Vance if he ran. Donald Trump (pictured) shrugged off a report he's told key allies they 'need to elect' JD Vance in 2028, saying it's far too soon to get involved in the next Republican Primary The President has also been 'peppering people around him with questions' on the pros and cons of both Vance (pictured right) and Marco Rubio (pictured left), also seen as a top contender in 2028 Even without the endorsement, it's clear the Vice President's name recognition has him in top standing with the Republican base.   A new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll shows Vance holding a strong lead over every other potential contender, cementing his status as the candidate to beat as the GOP begins looking ahead to the next presidential race that will kick off shortly after the midterms. Vance stands at 48 percent among Republican primary voters, down three points, but remains far ahead of his closest rival, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has climbed three points to 18 percent.  Rubio has said publicly he would not challenge Vance in a primary.  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is next at 12 percent, up three points, while Texas Senator Ted Cruz sits at 5 percent, down one point. The Vice President's dominance becomes even more apparent in a head-to-head matchup with Rubio, where Vance leads 60 percent to 29 percent.  Vance has not formally announced a run for president in 2028, despite growing speculation that he could emerge as the Republican Party's next front-runner. He has repeatedly signaled that a White House bid is something he is considering — but has stopped short of making the formal declaration political observers believe is inevitable. The President's endorsement could potentially clear the field for the sitting Vice President, given rumored top rival Rubio has said he would not contest Vance if he ran Your browser does not support iframes. In a June 2026 interview on CBS's 'Sunday Morning,' Vance said he and Usha Vance would discuss 'what comes next for our family' after the 2026 midterms.  Vance has said he believes President Trump would support whichever path he chooses. But he has not launched a campaign, formed a committee, or taken any official step toward a 2028 bid. The poll also shows Republicans still want Trump shaping the party's future. Forty-four percent say he should be 'very involved' in choosing the GOP's 2028 nominee and 31 percent 'somewhat involved' - 75 percent wanting some influence. Just 15 percent say none at all. Trump's approval stands at 44 percent, down from 47 in mid-June after a peace deal framework was announced.  Americans remain opposed to the original strike: 36 percent support the US military action in Iran, 41 percent oppose it. Even among Trump voters support has softened — 60 percent call the intervention right, down four points, while 21 percent now say it was wrong. Expectations are bleak. Fifty-eight percent think a deal will take more than a year (26 percent) or aren't sure (32 percent). Just 5 percent expect one within a month, 18 percent within three. Asked who is to blame for the re-escalation, voters point to Trump (32 percent) over the Iranian government (19 percent). On the Democratic side, Kamala Harris leads the early 2028 field at 31 percent, up two points. Gavin Newsom is second at 14 percent, down one, followed by Pete Buttigieg at 9 percent, down two.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez holds 7 percent, up one; Josh Shapiro 5 percent; Jon Ossoff up two to 4 percent. Vance and his wife welcomed their fourth child, Alec Neel Vance, on Sunday, July 19, at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.  His birth marks the first time in 156 years that a sitting vice president has welcomed a child in office.  The last was in 1870, when Vice President Schuyler Colfax, who served under Ulysses S. Grant, and his wife Ellen had a son.