Vice President Vance Pivots to Presidential Bid the Day After Republican Rout

The day after the Republican Party's heavy defeat in the U.S. midterm elections (congressional elections held midway through a president's term), Vice President JD Vance began making moves toward the 2028 presidential election. In a lengthy post blaming the defeat on the war with Iran, he distanced himself from President Donald Trump. "To those who are angry and want to say 'I told you so,' I will say: 'Yes, you did say so,'" he declared — remarks read as a reference to his own early reservations about the Iran war.

Resignation rumors have also swirled around Secretary of State Marco Rubio, widely seen as Vance's strongest rival. On the 5th (local time), Britain's Independent, citing an aide to Rubio, reported that "it would be entirely reasonable for Rubio to resign and leave the Trump administration," adding that "Rubio is the clear front-runner, ahead of Vance." The White House and State Department dismissed the report as baseless fake news.

Secretary Rubio had tried hard to avoid involvement in the midterms. During the Republican National Convention in September, he left on an overseas trip, and even when President Trump called him onto the stage during campaign events, he offered only a brief greeting before stepping down. The Secretary cited the principle of not interfering in elections, though some interpreted it as a preemptive attempt to distance himself from the expected political fallout of the Iran war.

With the midterms over, both parties have shifted into presidential election mode. As the influence of 'MAGA,' President Trump's core base, wanes following the Republican rout, all eyes are on the future moves of Secretary Rubio and Vice President Vance.