Vice President JD Vance may want to check his political pulse. Even some of the friendly faces at Fox News are questioning whether he has the popularity to inherit the MAGA movement and become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2028.
And judging by their latest comments, the vice president’s political future may not be as comfortable as he thinks.
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade and longtime network analyst Brit Hume recently took a hard look at Vance’s presidential prospects — and neither seemed ready to hand him the crown.
Kilmeade delivered the most direct assessment during Wednesday’s Brian Kilmeade Show, questioning whether the vice president enjoys the kind of support among Republicans that many people assume he does.
“I just don’t think that Vance is as popular as he thinks he is with Republicans,” Kilmeade said, according to Mediaite.
Ouch. That’s not exactly the kind of endorsement Vance needs from the conservative media universe.
Hume also questioned whether Vance’s close relationship with President Donald Trump could eventually become a political liability.
The vice president has built much of his national profile around his loyalty to Trump, making him a natural name to watch in the next Republican presidential race. But Hume warned that everything could depend on how voters and Republicans view Trump when 2028 arrives.
“A lot depends on how the public and the party feel about Donald Trump by the time 2028 rolls around,” Hume said.
He then pointed to Vance’s tight association with the president.
“If you’re as attached to the hip to Trump as indeed Vance is, it’s a good question whether that’s a liability or a benefit,” Hume said. “I think it might end up being a liability.”
That’s the problem with being Trump’s chosen political sidekick: If the president’s standing takes a hit, Vance could find himself absorbing some of the fallout.
And if Republican voters decide they want a different direction after Trump leaves office, loyalty alone may not be enough to win them over.
Vance also faces an awkward question about his political future: Does he have Donald Trump’s backing, or is he counting on an endorsement that hasn’t actually been promised?
Earlier this month, Vance told journalist Mark Halperin that he believed Trump would endorse him if he decided to run for president. He also described Trump’s endorsement as potentially more powerful than any political endorsement in history.
“I think if I run, the president will endorse me,” Vance said, while acknowledging that the two had not discussed it directly.
Trump offered no commitment when asked about the prospect a day later. Instead, he praised Vance as “a very talented person” and “a very good person,” before saying they had not really talked about the 2028 race.
“It’s early,” Trump added. “We have to get through the midterms. We’ll see how it goes.”
Vance Has a Popularity Problem to Solve
To be clear, Kilmeade and Hume did not declare Vance’s presidential ambitions dead. But their comments reveal a problem Vance cannot simply wave away: Being closely tied to Trump may help him with the Republican base today, yet it could become a burden if the party’s mood changes.
Kilmeade also argued that Vance would need to turn the administration’s policies into lasting legislation rather than rely solely on his role in the Trump orbit.
That would require Vance to show voters he can build support for his own agenda — and convince Republicans that he brings more to the table than loyalty to the president.
For now, the vice president remains a prominent potential contender, but the road to 2028 is long, and no endorsement or media narrative can guarantee the nomination.
Still, when even a Fox News host is publicly questioning Vance’s popularity, that’s hardly a good sign for someone hoping to lead the Republican Party.
