JD Vance may skip 2028 presidential race as Iran war raises concerns, CNN reports

According to sources close to Vance who spoke to CNN, the vice president is seriously considering not running in the next presidential election. However, he has not made a final decision or set a timeline for one.

CNN spoke with roughly a dozen of his allies and advisers. They said Vance is weighing his political ambitions amid divisions within Donald Trump's coalition of supporters and his family responsibilities.

How the Iran war is affecting Vance's plans

The war with Iran remains one of the main factors. The vice president's allies believe his prospects will largely depend on whether Trump can bring the conflict to a swift conclusion without further eroding public trust in the White House.

"The question isn't if JD can do it. It's: If the Iran war is still happening, can any Republican do it?" one Vance ally said.

After the midterm elections, the vice president publicly blamed the war for his party's defeat. According to CNN sources, the statement irritated Trump, although the White House maintains that the president had been briefed about the post in advance and had no objections to it.

Could Vance still run for president?

Some of Vance's allies are convinced that he is more likely to run than sit out the race. They emphasize that the election is still two years away and that the political landscape could change.

Meanwhile, Trump has not yet promised to endorse the vice president in the Republican primaries. According to CNN, he has privately expressed a desire to assess other potential candidates first.

Following the November 3 US congressional midterm elections, Vance blamed the Republicans' defeat on the war with Iran. He called for a focus on ending the conflict and addressing domestic issues in the US.

On November 12, Trump instructed Vance to shift his focus from negotiations with Iran to fighting corruption and crime. Previously, the vice president had led the US negotiating team on Iran.