Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) predicts that Vice President-elect Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) will be the Republican Party's 2028 presidential nominee.
Romney took part in an exit interview from Congress on CNN's “State of the Union” on Sunday, during which host Jake Tapper asked him about the post-Trump Republican Party.
“Yeah, MAGA is the Republican Party, and Donald Trump is the Republican Party today,” Romney said.
“And if you ask me who the candidate is in 2028, it would be J.D. Vance,” he continued.
The Utah senator said Vance, who President Trump chose as his running mate over the summer, is likely to be the next Republican leader because he is smart, well-spoken and believes in the MAGA movement. .
Mr. Romney has criticized both Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance, and said Sunday he did not want to revisit it. He said the two men have worked together in the Senate since his critical comments about Vance.
In an interview, he said both parties will likely need to reevaluate their messages to voters, especially those who have moved from the left to the right in recent elections.
Earlier this month, Romney gave a farewell speech on the Senate floor. He called for bipartisanship and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to work toward unity amid heightened partisanship.
