CNN data analyst Harry Enten argued Thursday that Vice President J.D. Vance’s odds of becoming the 2028 Republican presidential nominee are looking “pretty gosh darn good” at this point.
Enten showed poll results finding Vance at 40 percent support, with his next closest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, at 8 percent.
“Keep in mind that early favorites have gone on to win the nomination 63 percent of the time, those who have run, since 1980,” the data expert pointed out.
“That is why I say it looks pretty gosh darn good” for Vance, Enten added.
CNN host Kate Bolduan then asked him how vice presidents have historically fared when they run for the nomination.
Enten responded by showing that all of the sitting vice presidents who ran since 1960 won the top spot on their party’s ticket, including Richard Nixon in 1960, Hubert Humphries in 1968, George H.W. Bush in 1988, Al Gore in 2000, and Kamala Harris in 2024.
It should be noted that of those five, only Bush went on to win the presidency, though Nixon came back in 1968 with a White House victory.
🚨NEW: CNN’s Harry Enten says 2028 GOP nomination “LOOKS PRETTY GOSH DARN GOOD” for JD Vance🚨
“At this point, things all seem to be coming up for JD.” @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/UyLPFp2cQS
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) August 7, 2025
Would you support J.D. Vance in a primary?
Enten went on to argue that if President Donald Trump decided to weigh in on the 2028 GOP primary, it would all but make Vance a lock.
He highlighted that Trump’s endorsement record was 96 percent in 2024, 95 percent in 2022, and 98 percent in 2020.
“If Donald Trump decides to get behind his vice president, this GOP nomination fight in 2028 is likely adios amigos, over. J.D. Vance is very much likely going to be the GOP nominee, which is what the polling says and what history says, as well,” Enten concluded.
“At this point, things seem to all be coming up for J.D.,” he said.
Trump stopped short of endorsing Vance on Tuesday when asked if the vice president was the heir apparent to the MAGA movement.
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy noted that Trump could “clear the entire Republican field right now” for 2028 if he wanted to do so.
Trump on 2028: I Would Like To See J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio Get Together In Some Form
Read Trump’s remarks: https://t.co/2c8ikiRWkg pic.twitter.com/pXhODn0mCq
— RCP Video (@rcpvideo) August 5, 2025
“Well, I think most likely, in all fairness. He’s the vice president,” Trump responded.
“I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with J.D. in some form,” he added, referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who ran for president in 2016 against Trump along with several other candidates.
“I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here,” Trump further stated at a White House event. “So it’s too early, obviously, to talk about it. But certainly he’s doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point.”
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