If anything has dulled the Republican Party’s elation over the start of President Trump’s second term, it is that barring a political meteor, this term will be his last.
That dynamic fuels fears about whether anybody can fill Mr. Trump’s massive shoes in the 2028 election and continue to notch victories for the “America First” movement.
Attendees at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington said Vice President J.D. Vance’s willingness to be a warrior for the MAGA movement is helping ease those concerns.
When asked to identify Mr. Trump’s heir apparent, Jeanne Garris, 81, of South Carolina, said the answer was obvious.
“J.D. Vance,” she told The Washington Times. “He is the apex and the epitome of America. He is a child who grew up in adverse circumstances, and yet he overcame those.”
CPAC attendees noted Mr. Vance’s brief stint as a senator from Ohio and his background as a Marine and Yale Law School graduate.
They are thrilled with how he showcases his wife, second lady Usha Vance, and their three young children.
“He is just more relatable to the middle class and younger generations, as opposed to these people in their 70s and 80s that aren’t on the same level as younger folks these days,” said Brittany Carey, 38, of Florida.
Political oddsmakers rank Mr. Vance as the prohibitive front-runner to win the Republican presidential nomination and the White House. Mr. Vance has a long road ahead, as some voters question his ties to Silicon Valley bigwigs and whether he is politically seasoned.
In a recent interview, Mr. Trump said Mr. Vance is “very capable,” but he was not ready to name him his successor.
“I think you have a lot of capable people,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump has surrounded himself with potential 2028 contenders, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, both of whom were praised by CPAC attendees.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also has fans.
Some Trump supporters fantasize about circumventing the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which sets a two-term limit for presidents.
“This is Trump’s last term supposedly … maybe,” said Beth Baron, 56, of Virginia. “Haven’t you heard rumblings about constitutional changes and a third term?
“I would love it, but at the same time, that [doesn’t] allow other people to come up to the forefront because we are going to have to have someone pull us forward,” she said.
Mr. Trump has teased the idea, which legal scholars say is far-fetched. Rep. Andrew Ogles, Tennessee Republican, has introduced a House Joint Resolution to amend the Constitution to open the door for a third Trump term.
For Mr. Vance, the next four years will serve as a high-profile tryout, allowing him to cement his MAGA credentials and burnish himself as the movement’s communicator in chief.
Mr. Vance must also prove that he can avoid the political minefields associated with serving a boss who values loyalty.
Vice President Mike Pence was in a similar position after he helped Mr. Trump win the 2016 election by easing the concerns of religious and social conservatives. Goodwill collapsed when he refused to bend to Mr. Trump’s demands that he stop the vote certification for the 2020 election.
Roger Corbin of Lorton, Virginia, said Mr. Vance, like Mr. Pence, must carry the water from the Trump administration. He said Mr. Vance appears to believe wholeheartedly in the MAGA message.
“I think Donald Trump recognizes talent and smart people who have a lot of depth,” Mr. Corbin said. “So I think he sees him as a kind of a good successor.”
Mr. Corbin laughed at the idea of a natural successor to Mr. Trump.
“There’s nothing natural about any of these processes; it’s not like physics or something,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.