US Vice President JD Vance took the spotlight at the Republican convention in Dallas on Thursday, giving one of his clearest glimpses yet into a possible 2028 presidential campaign.
The 42-year-old delivered a strongly nationalistic speech before a pro-Trump audience. His appearance also offered an early test of whether he can carry the Republican movement beyond President Donald Trump.
Trump has not endorsed a potential 2028 successor. However, Republicans increasingly view Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as possible contenders for the nomination.
Vance Puts Nationalism at the Center
Vance focused heavily on American identity, safety and prosperity during his 40-minute address.
He spoke about an “American birthright” to safety and prosperity. He also accused Democrats of opposing those values.
“Don’t give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you happen to disagree with us on a policy issue here and there,” Vance said.
His speech largely followed a prepared script. However, one unscripted exchange drew loud cheers from the crowd.
A protester waved a Mexican flag during the speech. Vance responded, “Well, my friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your ass over there,” before offering to buy the protester a plane ticket.
The crowd responded with chants of “USA, USA, USA.”
Republicans Look Beyond Trump
Some attendees already appeared to view Vance as a future presidential candidate. Supporters chanted “48, 48,” referring to the possibility of Vance becoming America’s 48th president.
Vance, however, urged Republicans to focus first on the November midterm elections.
Republican leaders used the convention to energize supporters around immigration, crime and cultural issues. Several speakers also attacked Muslim politicians and portrayed Democrats as dangerous extremists.
Senator Ted Cruz accused Democrats, without providing evidence, of belonging to a “new and dangerous red-green alliance” between communists and Islamists.
Meanwhile, Vance criticized the years under Democratic President Joe Biden.
“We were tired of being called racist for noticing that our country was becoming dirtier and poorer and less safe and less prosperous.”
Trump Still Dominates the Republican Party
Despite Vance’s prominent role, Trump remained the central figure throughout the convention.
Large photographs of Trump covered the 20,000-seat arena. One showed him raising his fist after the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Another massive image showed Trump standing near steel coils at a factory.
The crowd filled much of the arena before Vance’s speech. However, many seats in the upper sections remained empty.
Kyndra Yamaguchi, a Tea Party faction board director in Montgomery County, Texas, said the event was successfully energizing Republican voters.
“It stirs the base, which I think it’s really needed right now, especially here in Texas,” Yamaguchi said.
Vance’s Rise From ‘Hillbilly Elegy’
Vance first gained national attention through his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book described his working-class upbringing, poverty and family struggles with addiction.
He later entered politics and became one of Trump’s most prominent allies.
However, some Republicans remain cautious about an early decision on the 2028 nominee.
Trent Morgan, a 29-year-old party chair in Newton County, Texas, praised Vance but said voters should decide the next nominee through primaries.
“That’s the great thing about primaries, us as voters get to decide,” Morgan said. “It’s not good for a party to play kingmaker.”
Another Texas Republican, Robert Greeley, said Vance should distance himself more from people he believes are damaging Trump’s administration.
“I know he’s trying to turn the temperature down,” Greeley said. “It’s way past that time.”
Trump Urges Republicans to Vote
Trump followed Vance onto the stage and initially promised a short speech. He said he did not want to repeat the material from his two-hour address the previous night.
However, Trump eventually returned to his familiar rally style. He attacked political opponents and the news media while repeating several unverified claims.
He also asked supporters to repeat his description of himself as “the greatest president in the history of the United States.”
Trump ended his appearance with a strong message about the November elections. He urged Republicans to turn out and warned supporters they would “go to hell” if they failed to vote.
For Vance, however, the Dallas convention offered something beyond another campaign rally. It gave him a national platform to demonstrate whether he can eventually become the face of Trump’s political movement.
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