Multiple reports say President Donald Trump, during a private meeting with Republican donors in the Oval Office, expressed support for Vice President JD Vance to be the party’s choice in the 2028 presidential election. According to the accounts cited by The Hill and Fox News, Trump told donors, “At the end of the day, we need to elect JD,” with Fox News confirming the statement through a source. The Hill similarly reports that Trump made the comment to donors roughly two weeks before the reports, while also noting that Trump has not publicly committed to a preferred candidate. Breitbart also reports that Trump conveyed the message to donors in a private conversation in the Oval Office and framed it as a goal for the 2028 election.
The sources agree on the core claim that Trump urged donors to back Vance in 2028 in private, but they present limited additional detail about whether Trump has taken further steps or how the decision will ultimately be made within the party.
