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That’s when Halperin decided to test the waters.
“I’m going to ask you all to vote by show of hands. If you’re uncomfortable voting in front of the others, you can close your eyes as you vote. Raise your hand if you’d like JD Vance to be the nominee,” he told the crowd. The response was explosive — cheers, whistles, and an ocean of raised hands filled Dickies Arena.
When Halperin asked who preferred someone else, only a few hesitant hands went up. “Okay, next to no one, right?” he said, summing up the overwhelming sentiment in the room.
A Level of Support Unseen in Modern Politics
Halperin — who’s covered every presidential race since the 1990s — told Kelly’s audience that he’s never seen anything like it.
“So there’s never been, just as there’s never been a field as formless and as weak as the Democrats, at least in my career, there’s never been a situation like this. Incumbent vice president, Bush 41, Reagan’s vice president. Not only did Reagan not endorse him until after the nomination fight was over, but literally at the endorsement event, you can go watch it on YouTube on C-SPAN. He called him, I’m here to endorse my vice president, ‘George Bosch.’ So he mispronounced his name,” Halperin said.
The veteran analyst pointed out how past presidents often distanced themselves from their vice presidents — but Trump’s relationship with Vance is different.
“Clinton made his life miserable. When Biden was vice president, Obama said, ‘sorry, I’m endorsing Hillary.’ We’ve never had an incumbent vice president with the full support to do all the things he does. Overseas trips, domestic trips, political operation, finance chair of the Republican national committee,” he explained.
Vance’s Momentum Keeps Building
As Trump’s second term moves deeper into its first year, JD Vance is already dominating early polling for 2028. According to the RealClearPolitics average, the vice president holds a staggering 36.7-point lead over his nearest potential challenger.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who faltered in his 2024 presidential run, trails far behind with just 10.3 percent support. Former presidential hopeful and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio follows at 9.3 percent.
But even Rubio appears to recognize where the momentum is heading. In a Fox News interview from July, he offered an unmistakable hint of support. “Well I think J.D. Vance would be a great nominee. And if, you know, if he decides he wants to do that. And so, you know, I think he’s doing a great job as vice president. He’s a close friend and I hope he intends to do it,” Rubio said.
The Road to 2028 Looks Clear
For now, Trump remains the dominant force in Republican politics — but the Fort Worth crowd made one thing clear: when the torch passes, they want JD Vance holding it.
From the roaring cheers inside Dickies Arena to the growing national polling lead, the message couldn’t be louder — conservatives are already uniting behind the vice president.
And if this night in Texas was any indication, the MAGA movement’s next chapter might already have its headline: “Vance 2028.”
