President Trump declined to endorse Vice President J.D. Vance as his successor, saying it was too early to make such a determination.

In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier released in full on Monday, Mr. Trump said “no” when asked if he viewed Mr. Vance as his successor.

“No, but he’s very capable,” Mr. Trump said. “I think you have a lot of very capable people. So far I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early.”

Mr. Vance, a former U.S. senator from Ohio, is widely viewed as the heir to the MAGA legacy. He has embraced Mr. Trump’s brand of economic populism and has become a fierce advocate for the president’s policies.

The president’s comments come as Mr. Vance is traveling in Europe, representing the Trump administration at an artificial intelligence summit in Paris. He will also attend the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

At 40, Mr. Vance is nearly four decades younger than Mr. Trump, 78. His selection as vice president was viewed as a generational shift for both the MAGA movement and Republicans at large, who were seeking to strengthen their appeal among younger voters. Mr. Vance, who grew up poor in Appalachia but went on to graduate from Yale Law School, also reflects the Republican Party’s new base of working-class voters who previously aligned with Democrats.

Mr. Trump’s relationship with his first-term vice president, Mike Pence, deteriorated after Mr. Pence refused to block the certification of President Biden’s 2020 election win, though they did shake hands at President Carter’s funeral.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.