President Donald Trump says it’s “too early” to throw his weight behind Vice President JD Vance. So, while Trump didn’t say whether he plans to support Vance in 2028, many people online think his answer was pretty revealing—though there are several theories about what it could mean.
Some people think Trump hesitated to answer directly because he’s still trying to run in 2028, even though the 22nd Amendment says no one can be elected president more than twice. Trump has continued to share memes related to a 2028 presidential run, wear Trump 2028 merch, and talk about running again. But others think his hesitancy also says something about how he feels about Vance.
A reporter asked Trump whether he’s willing to “throw (his) weight behind” Vance in 2028.
Q: Are you ready to throw your weight behind JD Vance?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 13, 2026
TRUMP: It's too early pic.twitter.com/yu5C8LE0k6
Trump said it’s “too early” to answer that question. He added that Vance is “terrific,” but also said, “we have so many terrific people.” When asked who might be the most competitive with Vance in 2028, Trump said “they’re all very good,” and Vance is “fantastic” as well.
After hearing Trump’s responses to these questions, some critics thought Vance should actually be embarrassed. To several people, it sounded like a clear “no,” even after the lengths Vance has gone through to stand by and defend Trump. “Imagine being JD Vance and the orange menace is still dragging you,” one critic wrote on X.
Someone else said, “All JD’s a– kissing is getting him nowhere.” And another person argued that the same thing seems to be true for the other people in Trump’s circle as well. “They will give up everything for him and he will sell them out for nothing,” they wrote. “he’ll turn on them simply bc he was bored that day.”
And another critic added that Vance “makes a fool of himself day in and day out for his hero the pervert… and he doesn’t endorse him.”
To be fair, Trump was similarly noncommittal when asked about Pete Hegseth’s rumored presidential run.
Q: There are reports Hegseth is considering a 2028 run. Could you see yourself supporting him?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2026
TRUMP: I think he's a very good guy, but … pic.twitter.com/vi3TuU8Yb9
In August, a reporter asked Trump about whether he could see himself supporting Hegseth in 2028. Trump had a similar answer, calling him “good” and “fantastic,” but arguing that it was too early to say one way or another.
“I think he’s doing a fantastic job, but it’s very early to talk about that,” Trump said at the time. “We have to get through the midterms first… I think he’s a very good guy, but I’ll bet there are a lot of people considering it that you don’t know about… You have a lot of people.”
People thought the “buts” spoke volumes, making it sound like Trump was not particularly enthusiastic about the idea of supporting Hegseth. “So that’s a no then,” someone on X concluded at the time.
And, of course, there are people who are worried that Trump won’t ever voice support for another candidate.
Imagine being JD Vance and the orange menace is still dragging you. https://t.co/yERp5Ly4Um
— Jane of the North (@JaneotN) September 13, 2026
“He can’t stand the thought of anyone but himself being president,” one critic on X speculated. Similarly, another person predicted, “Trump isn’t going to recommend any Republican candidate but himself.”
Others, however, think Trump might just want to see people compete with each other. “Trump’s looking to incite an a—kissing contest between JD and Marco,” a third critic guessed. “2028 is gonna be a bizarro Apprentice-style show,” someone wrote in the comments.
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