The Hill: RNC convention finale ‘all about Vance’ as GOP base looks to 2028

Vice President Vance roused the closing-night crowd at the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) Dallas convention amid growing chatter about his 2028 prospects, The Hill notes. 

The Thursday night keynote — interrupted at one point with chants of “48” — offered the vice president a chance to charm the base that will be critical if he decides to run to succeed President Trump in the next election.

“We got to take care of business this November. Then we’ll worry about what comes next,” Vance said in response to the crowd.

Widely seen as the MAGA movement’s heir apparent, Vance has played coy about his future plans as Republicans train their focus on winning the midterms. But attendees were quick to say they have their eye on Vance for 2028, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was not attending.

Rubio, who ran against Trump in 2016, has seen his profile rise as he maneuvers on the international stage. He was abroad during the convention and told a Colombian news station this week that he has no plans at this point to launch another run for the White House.

“If it’s one or the other, I don’t care which way that ticket goes, as long as they’re both on the ticket,” said Nola Nemeth-Odens, an attendee from Texas, of a Vance-Rubio ticket. 

Others stressed that the convention showcased a wealth of options for the GOP.

“There’s a lot that will happen between now and then, and they’re both extremely talented, so I think we’ve got a deep bench on the Republican side,” said Barb Novak, an attendee from Minnesota.

In an average of polls compiled by Race to the WH, testing a potential 2028 GOP primary, Vance was the clear leader with 40 percent support, followed by Rubio at around 22 percent. They were the only two names in double-digit territory, with Donald Trump Jr. notching third place at around 9 percent support.

Vance won a 2028 straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year, with Rubio in second. A similar poll was not expected at the RNC’s first-ever midterm convention. 

An Emerson College/The Hill survey released last month showed Rubio outperforming Vance in five match-ups against Democrats, with the exception of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who held a 5-point edge against both Republicans.

The vice president during his speech Thursday sought to draw a contrast between Republicans and Democrats by citing the accomplishments of the Trump administration.

“I’m not asking you to agree with every policy of our administration. I’m asking you to recognize the contrast with the radicals, and the achievements of the last 18 months,” Vance said.

Vance also reflected on his friendship with the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, using his legacy to reach out to voters upset with the administration, noting Kirk “hated war,” including in the Middle East.

“Do what Charlie did: Do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Don’t give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you happen to disagree with us on a policy issue here or there,” Vance said.

Both days of the convention were characterized by a focus on the Lone Star State against the backdrop of a closer-than-expected Senate race. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Reps. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) and Brandon Gill (R-Texas) also addressed the conference, along with a trio of Republican candidates for the House and Dallas’s Democrat-turned-Republican mayor.

The president’s closing-night speech echoed many of his first-night points. But he hammered a critical through line pushed by many of the convention’s speakers: that the midterms are an existential fight for the GOP. 

“They’ll ruin our country. So on Election Day, Nov. 3, you got to do me a favor. You got to get out and vote, and you’re going to pretend I’m on the ballot because, in a way, I am on the ballot,” Trump said. 

He went on to lead the crowd in a pledge to turn out in November’s general election. At the end, he said that those who don’t vote will “go to hell.”

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