Vance Rises in MAGA, but Bannon Sees 3rd Trump Term

Vice President JD Vance has been tapped to serve as a top fundraiser at the Republican National Committee, in what the AP sees as another sign that he's cementing his status as the torchbearer of the MAGA movement.

• It's the first time in the RNC's history that a sitting vice president has held the position of finance chair, giving Vance a prominent, direct role in next year's midterm elections and helping him build ties with top Republican donors. Vance headlined numerous fundraisers during the 2024 campaign, making the job an extension of those efforts.

• The appointment is the latest demonstration of how Vance is being embraced by many in President Trump's orbit more than three years before the 2028 election. The Constitution bars Trump from running for a third term, though he has repeatedly teased the prospect of remaining in office nonetheless.
• Axios similarly reported this week that Vance is more and more looking like the "heir apparent" to Trump. "I think it's inevitable at this point that Vance will be the nominee in 2028," says Trump ally Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana. "He's the future of the America First movement, and he's already proven himself."
• As for the possibility of a third Trump term, supporters such as Steve Bannon remain optimistic. "I'm a firm believer that President Trump will run and win again in 2028, so I've already endorsed President Trump," Bannon told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo, per the Hill. "A man like this comes along once every century, if we're lucky. We've got him now."

(More JD Vance stories.)