RNC finale ‘all about Vance’ as GOP base looks to 2028

Vice President Vance roused the closing night crowd at the Republican National Committee’s Dallas convention amid growing chatter about his 2028 prospects.

The Thursday night keynote — interrupted at one point with chants of “48” — offered the vice president a chance to charm the base that will be critical if he decides to run to succeed President Trump in the next election.

“We got to take care of business this November. Then we’ll worry about what comes next,” Vance said in response to the crowd.

Widely seen as the MAGA movement’s heir apparent, Vance has played coy about his future plans as Republicans steer focus to winning the midterms. But attendees were quick to say they have their eye on Vance for 2028, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was not attending.

“Team Vance right here,” said Kim Simmons, an attendee from Texas, when asked about 2028 after the vice president’s speech.

“All about Vance,” said Texan Martha McCullough.

Debra Shaver and Rosie Swanson, a pair of attendees from Texas, said “Vance-Rubio” in unison when asked about the party’s next presidential ticket.

“Either one of ‘em,” said Dedra Taie of Texas’s Collin County.

“I can’t wait to see Vance. He’s gorgeous,” said Michelle Taylor, an attendee from Houston, ahead of the vice president’s speech.

Rubio, who ran against Trump in 2016, has seen his profile rise as he maneuvers on the international stage. He was abroad during the convention, and told a Columbian news station this week that he has no plans at this point to launch another run for the White House.

“If it’s one or the other, I don’t care which way that ticket goes, as long as they’re both on the ticket,” said Nola Nemeth-Odens, an attendee from Texas, of a Vance-Rubio ticket.

“I’m sure there are other viable candidates, we just don’t know them yet. But those two articulate the message most effectively,” she said.

Others stressed that the convention showcased a wealth of options for the GOP.

“There’s a lot that will happen between now and then, and they’re both extremely talented, so I think we’ve got a deep bench on the Republican side,” said Barb Novak, an attendee from Minnesota.

In an average of polls compiled by Race to the WH, testing a potential 2028 GOP primary, Vance was the clear leader with 40 percent, followed by Rubio at around 22 percent. They were the only two names in double-digit territory, with Donald Trump Jr. notching third place at around 9 percent.

Vance won a 2028 straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year, followed by Rubio. A similar poll was not expected at the RNC’s first-ever midterm convention.

An Emerson College/The Hill survey released last month showed Rubio outperforming Vance in five match-ups against Democrats, with the exception of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who held a 5-point edge against both Republicans.

The vice president during his speech Thursday sought to draw a contrast between Republicans and Democrats through citing the accomplishments of the Trump administration.

“I’m not asking you to agree with every policy of our administration. I’m asking you to recognize the contrast with the radicals, and the achievements of the last 18 months,” Vance said.

Vance also reflected on his friendship with the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, using his legacy to reach out to voters upset with the administration, noting Kirk “hated war,” including in the Middle East.

“Do what Charlie did: Do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Don’t give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you happen to disagree with us on a policy issue here or there,” Vance said.

Some other potential White House contenders, including Trump Jr. and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), also filled out the day-two speakers list.

Cruz painted the Democratic Party as an existential threat, and also knocked Democrat James Talarico, who is easing ahead of Trump-backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in the latest polling on the race.

Both days of the convention were characterized by a focus on the Lone Star State against the backdrop of a closer-than-expected Senate race.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Reps. Monica De La Cruz and Brandon Gill also addressed the conference, along with a trio of Republican candidates for the House and Dallas’s Democrat-turned-Republican mayor.

Paxton addressed the convention crowd on the first night of the Dallas crowd, under U.S. and Lone Star State flags hung from the ceiling facing the stage — and got a double-edged shout-out in both of Trump’s remarks.

Trump doubled down Thursday on his criticism that he doesn’t “like the way Ken dresses,” “talks” or “looks,” but offered praise to the Senate hopeful as “the greatest” attorney general in the country.

“I don’t know if he’s gonna ever speak to me again, but you know, I don’t care as long as he wins,” Trump said. “I don’t have to speak to him. He’s gonna vote the way we would vote … you gotta vote for him.”

The president’s closing-night speech echoed many of his first-night points, including the digs at Paxton. But he hammered a critical throughline pushed by many of the convention’s speakers: that the midterms are an existential fight for the GOP.

“They’ll ruin our country. So on election day, November 3, you got to do me a favor. You got to get out and vote, and you’re going to pretend I’m on the ballot because, in a way, I am on the ballot,” Trump said.

He went on to lead the crowd in a pledge to turn out in November’s general election. At the end, he said that those who don’t vote will “go to hell.”

Vance will not stray far from the spotlight following the convention.

He’ll travel to New York City on Friday for a commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks at Ground Zero alongside former presidents. And he’s headed next week to Kansas City, Missouri, where he’ll deliver remarks on the Trump administration’s efforts to combat fraud.