President Donald Trump has reportedly grown increasingly frustrated with Vice President J.D. Vance and has privately questioned whether the 41-year-old Republican is the right person to carry the MAGA movement into the 2028 presidential race. According to a report published on Saturday, May 30, by The New York Times, more than a dozen insiders described a tense relationship between Trump and Vance, with the president said to be focused on what he views as a series of political and public-relations mistakes by his vice president.
The report says Trump has compared Vance’s political record unfavorably with his own, arguing in private that the former Ohio senator has never won a difficult race without Trump’s support. Trump is also said to have criticized Vance for taking too many vacations during his time in office and for sending him to Pakistan for discussions connected to efforts to end the Iran war.
One incident reportedly still bothers Trump: Vance accidentally dropped Ohio State’s College Football Playoff National Championship trophy during a public appearance last year. Sources say Trump has referred to the episode repeatedly when discussing Vance’s political future.
Vance’s social media activity has also become a concern inside the White House. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reportedly urged him to cut back on public exchanges with critics online, believing such posts create unnecessary problems for the Trump administration. The report suggests some aides see Vance’s online behavior as distracting and politically risky.
Trump has also been fueling speculation about who could become the Republican Party’s next major figure after his presidency. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are seen as leading contenders for that role. At a May dinner in the Rose Garden, Trump reportedly asked guests whether they preferred Vance or Rubio as a future president. Guests reportedly responded more enthusiastically to Vance, prompting Trump to say, “Alright, sounds like a good ticket.”
But in a recent interview with Fortune magazine, Trump gave a more guarded answer when asked who could best continue his “dealmaking legacy.” He said, “Whoever gets this is going to be very important, and if you get the wrong person: disaster,” a comment that appeared to leave open doubts about Vance’s prospects.
The White House rejected the report and defended Vance’s record. Communications director Steven Cheung said Vance has done a “remarkable job” helping carry out Trump’s America First agenda and dismissed the story as false. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also weighed in, telling The New York Times that Vance is no longer able to rely on his former political reputation and that nothing can protect him anymore.
