Young Republican voters do not seem enthused about the possibility of voting for United States Vice President JD Vance in the 2028 presidential election, assuming he runs to replace Donald Trump.
Politico reported the results of a Longwell Partners survey of nine young men, all aged 18 to 24, who supported Trump in 2024. Of those nine men, only one said he wanted to see Vance as the GOP nominee.
“I don’t think Vance can win, because I think he’s too connected to the current political establishment in Washington, which I think has a very negative approval rating right now,” said Sam Z., a voter in Minnesota.
As of Jan. 23, 2026, Trump’s approval rating is 37% amid concerns about the economy, immigration, and foreign policy.
NEW in Playbook: We did a focus group of Gen Z men who voted for Trump. They don’t want JD Vance in 2028. In fact, the only thing they want less than that is for the U.S. to buy Greenland (which they unanimously oppose). pic.twitter.com/Nk4sYp91Ny
— Sarah Longwell (@SarahLongwell25) January 23, 2026
Those polled named Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback as GOP candidates they’d like to see in the 2028 election. However, Fishback would only be 33 in 2028, and the Constitution mandates that the president be at least 35 years old.
DeSantis, then Florida governor, and Ramaswamy withdrew during the 2024 primaries. Rubio ran in 2016 while a senator from Florida, but later withdrew and endorsed Trump.
“Somebody younger running [for] office would be awesome,” Sam Z. said. “So that’s the one thing I wouldn’t mind for Vance. But overall, I just don’t think [he] can win. I think he’s kind of flip-flopped on a lot of issues.”
Vance was an outspoken critic of Trump for years, publicly calling him an “idiot” and “reprehensible.” However, Vance gradually began supporting Trump and endorsed him for president in January 2023. Trump chose Vance as his running mate in July 2024.
If you work hard every single day, you ought to be able to enjoy a good life in the United States.
After four dark years under Joe Biden, the Trump Administration is finally delivering prosperity for American workers again. pic.twitter.com/EVAkK4zdhE
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 22, 2026
Ruben T., from Georgia, was the only voter interested in seeing Vance run for office in 2028.
“I think because he already is a VP, like he has more experience than most people will, which puts him at an advantage,” Ruben T. said.
If Vance runs, he will almost certainly rank among the youngest candidates on the 2028 ballot. Vance would turn 44 in August 2028, and Ramaswamy would be 43. DeSantis turns 50 in September 2028.
Potential Democratic candidates could include California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in 2024. New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also makes sense as a possible candidate.
Although Trump has hinted that he would like to run for re-election, he would currently be ineligible under the Constitution, as a third term is not allowed. Trump would turn 82 in June 2028, which would make him the oldest president ever inaugurated. He currently holds the record at 78 years, 220 days.
