After the Republican Party’s disappointing midterm election results, Vance seriously considered stepping down from a 2028 presidential bid but has never ruled it out, and remains undecided at this stage. Several close allies familiar with his thinking say the likelihood of Vance running for president still exceeds that of not running. They note that Vance is acutely aware of the challenges facing the Trump administration, yet also recognizes that shifting political winds—particularly as Democratic influence grows in Washington—could alter the landscape. He appears largely resistant to panic-driven impulses. Running for president presents significant hurdles for Vance; only after the Iran conflict concludes would any Republican stand a realistic chance of victory. In addition, he faces a difficult task in the coming months: distancing himself from government officials or advisers under scrutiny for misconduct and targeted by Democratic congressional investigations. Despite these obstacles, Vance remains a leading figure within the Republican Party. According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, 41% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents view Vance as an excellent candidate for 2028, ahead of Rubio (40%), DeSantis (29%), and Donald Trump Jr. (15%).
Meanwhile, efforts to position Rubio as a presidential contender are gaining momentum. On Friday evening, Rubio delivered the keynote address at the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention—the first public speech he has given since the midterms. In his remarks, he launched a forceful critique of international lawyers and the “rules-based international order” upheld by what he described as “radical courts.” He stated: “We Americans are not a passive or inward-looking people. Yielding to radical judges or hollow visions of faceless global bureaucrats is a betrayal of our character, a betrayal of ourselves.” Some Republicans believe he is best positioned to chart a path distinct from Trump. While not breaking with Trump outright, Rubio employed grand rhetoric and a conciliatory tone to vigorously defend key policies of the Trump administration, earning sustained applause from the audience. He justified actions including sinking vessels suspected of drug trafficking, detaining Maduro, and the administration’s hardline approach to immigration. He also defended the war against Iran, asserting that the Iranian regime is the root cause of all major issues in the Middle East. He defined a victory on Iran as ensuring “they will never possess nuclear weapons.” Rubio’s speech offers him a strategic opportunity to win support among a powerful faction within the conservative movement. The Federalist Society has played a pivotal role in shaping Republican legal orthodoxy, and its network of lawyers and judges helped drive the transformation of the federal judiciary during Trump’s first term.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1881811617474571/
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