There has long been speculation that US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio want to be the Republicans' next presidential candidate. After the defeat in the mid-term elections, the top politicians' connection to US President Donald Trump appears increasingly negative for that purpose, according to two US experts.
- They will both have Trump's yoke hanging around their necks in the future election campaign, says Erik Åsard, professor emeritus of North American studies at Uppsala University.
Linnaeus University political scientist Emma Ricknell thinks it's particularly bad for JD Vance. The vice president has been advised by allies not to run for president, according to US media sources.
- JD Vance is more intimately associated with the Trump administration, because that's where he got his really big breakthrough, she says.
According to Wall Street Journal sources, wealthy donors have said they can no longer support Vance and instead want to bet on others — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor is considered a safer bet because he is not associated with the president's political legacy. Ron DeSantis and his advisers are making the same analysis, according to Washington Post sources.
Even Emma Ricknell believes that the governor's opportunities have improved after the election.
- At the same time, we will see what happens. You can still be lowered by something in the next two years, she says.
The Washington Post writes that DeSantis has his sights set on becoming the Republican presidential candidate. He failed when he tried in 2024.
After the election loss last week, Florida's governor has spoken out about the defeat. According to sources, he learned the importance of media exposure after the failed 2024 bid. He has called the election results close to "extermination level for Republicans." In the same vein, the governor pointed out that Florida stood as a platform for the blue wave that swept over Republican states. The Washington Post writes that he now presents himself as an alternative to "Trumpism".
After Ron DeSantis threw in the towel on the 2024 presidential bid, he backed the current president.
If today's opinion holds, the presidential election in 2028 could be difficult for Republicans who supported Trump, even if they do not belong to the White House circle, according to Emma Ricknell:
- It can be a challenge to distance oneself from the politics of the administration while belonging to the party.
DeSanti's political work in Florida has drawn much attention for being part of the culture war. He has wanted to limit sex education and ban trans women from elite sports. After the midterm elections, the Republican says, according to Politico, that one should focus on the economy and AI issues instead of opposition to transgender people.
- He has had a populist way of talking about politics. But I would say that he is a more traditionally conservative Republican compared to Donald Trump, says Emma Ricknell.
However, DeSantis does not possess the charismatic president's ability to go through the window, according to the political scientist. Erik Åsard points out that the governor's political star fell after the failed presidential campaign in 2024. This may make it difficult for him to make a comeback.
Another name outside the White House mentioned in the US media is Texas Senator Ted Cruz. He tried to become the Republican presidential candidate in 2016.
- He is probably keen to try again. But it is so early that it is not possible to determine who might become strong candidates, says Erik Åsard.
