Vice President JD Vance revealed “there’s a chance” he won’t run for president in 2028 — and second lady Usha and the couple’s four young kids could help make the decision for him.
Vance — the frontrunner to succeed Trump as Republican nominee — acknowledged during a CBS News town hall in Michigan that he could sit-out the next election.
“Of course there’s a chance,” Vance said.
“We’ve got four little kids, my wife has never loved politics. She loves public service,” Vance said.
“I think you know you can do a lot of good in this job, and I’ve tried to do as much good as possible.”
The vice president said he has yet to make up his mind about a potential White House bid, describing himself as a “procrastinator” when it comes to major life decisions.
“The way that I think about life, big life decisions — my wife will tell you this: I’m a procrastinator. I hate thinking about it,” Vance said.
Vance indicated that he plans to give the question more serious consideration after the November midterm elections, rather than commit to a campaign while the Trump administration is still navigating its current agenda.
His comments come as the vice president is widely viewed as an early frontrunner to succeed Trump, who has described Vance as his “most likely” Republican successor.
The RealClear Polling average gives him a 15-point advantage over Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Republican primary, with 39% support more than two years out from the 2028 election. President Trump’s son, Donald Jr., is third with 11% support.
But the prospect of another presidential campaign would mean an even bigger role in politics for second lady Usha Vance, who has previously acknowledged that she and her husband do not always agree on political issues.
In a March interview with NBC News, Usha said she sometimes holds views that do not fit neatly within traditional political camps.
“Sometimes I have thoughts that fit very comfortably into one side or another,” she said. “Sometimes I have views that are way more idiosyncratic.”
She also made clear that she sees herself as a sounding board for her husband rather than a political operative.
“I’m not his staffer. I’m not involved in this in any professional sense,” Usha said, adding that there is “no exception that we are going to see eye to eye on everything.”
The couple’s family has also grown in recent months. Their youngest child, son Alec was born July 19, joining siblings Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4.
Usha said in March that a 2028 presidential campaign was not yet a priority in their household, explaining that her husband was focused on the midterm elections and the demands of his current job.
“If you come back in 2027 and ask me, I’ll have a better sense of, you know, what he’s thinking in that way,” she told NBC News.
For now, Vance’s political future remains an open question — even as early polling puts him ahead of potential Republican rivals.
