Vice President J.D. Vance has been chosen to be a top fundraiser for the Republican National Committee. This is another sign that he is solidifying his role as the leader of President Trump's "Make America Great Again" effort.
It is the first time in RNC history that a vice president in office has been finance chair. This gives Vance a big, direct part in next year's midterm elections and helps him get to know big Republican donors, as Newsmax reported.
Vance was the host of numerous functions for the 2024 campaign, so the job was an extension of those efforts.
In a statement about the change Vance said that, "to fully enact the MAGA mandate and President Trump's vision that voters demanded, we must keep and grow our Republican majorities in 2026."
He says he will focus on building "the war chest we need to deliver those victories next November."
The decision is the latest sign that many people close to Trump see Vance as his clear choice to be his successor, even though the election isn't until 2028.
The U.S. Constitution says that Trump can't run for a third term, but he has hinted many times that he might want to stay in office anyway.
It is likely that a lengthy list of candidates will be attracted to an open GOP primary. However, several of the party's most prominent figures have been publicly advocating for Vance.
"The only person in the entire Republican Party, from my position, who's capable of carrying on the Trump legacy and expanding it, making it what it should fully be, is JD Vance," said conservative commentator and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
"There's no one else," he went on. "I don't see any other — at this point, as of today — any other conceivable option. I think J.D. Vance will be the nominee."
During an appearance in Wisconsin on Monday night, Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the president and a member of his own loyal following, referred to Vance as "the only impressive vice president of my lifetime."
He first advocated for his personal friend, Vance, in the Ohio GOP Senate primary and later convinced his father to select Vance as his running mate.
"When I went in all for J.D. for VP, I was up against every billionaire Republican donor. I used up my political capital with my father 'til like 2079," he joked. "I will be dead and I will still have not caught back up. But it was the right call."
Trump, however, has been noncommittal about the possibility of Vance taking over the top spot in the nation.
When asked by Bret Baier during a recent interview whether he views Vance as his successor, Trump responded: "No. But is he very capable. I mean, I don't think that, you know, I think you have a lot of very capable people. So far, I think he is doing a fantastic job. It's too early. We are just starting."
