Vice President JD Vance says there is “a chance” he may not seek the presidency in 2028, with his wife, second lady Usha Vance, and their four young children likely to factor into the decision.
Vance, currently viewed as the leading contender to succeed President Trump as the Republican nominee, acknowledged during a CBS News town hall in Michigan that he could ultimately skip the next presidential race.
“Of course there’s a chance,” Vance said.
He pointed to the demands on his family, saying, “We’ve got four little kids, my wife has never loved politics. She loves public service.”
“I think you know you can do a lot of good in this job, and I’ve tried to do as much good as possible,” Vance added.
The vice president said he has not made a final decision about a possible White House campaign and described himself as a “procrastinator” when confronting major choices.
“The way that I think about life, big life decisions — my wife will tell you this: I’m a procrastinator. I hate thinking about it,” Vance said.
Vance said he expects to give the matter more serious thought after the November midterm elections. For now, he indicated that he does not want to commit to a campaign while the Trump administration remains focused on its current agenda.
His remarks come as he is widely regarded as an early favorite to follow Trump, who has called Vance his “most likely” Republican successor.
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According to the RealClear Polling average, Vance holds a 15-point lead over Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Republican primary, with 39% support more than two years before the 2028 election. President Trump’s son, Donald Jr., ranks third at 11%.
A second presidential campaign would also bring an expanded political role for Usha Vance, who has previously said that she and her husband do not always share the same views on political issues.
In a March interview with NBC News, Usha said some of her positions do not fit neatly into the traditional political categories.
“Sometimes I have thoughts that fit very comfortably into one side or another,” she said. “Sometimes I have views that are way more idiosyncratic.”
She described her role as offering perspective to her husband, rather than working as part of his political operation.
“I’m not his staffer. I’m not involved in this in any professional sense,” Usha said, adding that there is “no exception that we are going to see eye to eye on everything.”
The Vances’ family has also expanded in recent months. Their youngest child, son Alec, was born July 19, joining siblings Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4.
Usha said in March that a 2028 presidential campaign was not yet a priority for the family. At the time, she said Vance was concentrating on the midterm elections and the responsibilities of his current position.
“If you come back in 2027 and ask me, I’ll have a better sense of, you know, what he’s thinking in that way,” she told NBC News.
For now, Vance’s political future remains unsettled, even as early polling places him ahead of potential Republican rivals.
