Donald Trump was asked by a reporter about rumors that his secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, may run for president in 2028 on Monday and gave a response that probably won’t be well-received by supporters of his assumed successor, J.D. Vance.
The vice president remains the most likely Republican to win Trump’s support for a presidential run in 2028, given his position and alliance with another key member of the Trump family — the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who has been a Vance supporter since the latter’s run for senate in 2022.
But on Monday the president indicated that he didn’t have a favorite in the race for taking over the Maga mantle, and said there were many who could do it.
“I bet there’s a lot of people considering it, that you don’t know about,” said the president.
Of the Defense secretary, he added: “I think he’s doing a fantastic job, but it’s very early to talk about that.”
This is a breaking news report. More to follow…