MAGA and Trump were never the endgame for the Republican Party. He’s a transitory figure paving the way for an even better GOP.
Trump says he’s barred from third term run
President Donald Trump says he’s not allowed to run for a third term, saying it’s “too bad.”
For reasons I will never understand other than it would boost his ego, President Donald Trump had actually been talking about something that is impossible: running for president a third term, even though the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution expressly prohibits it.
But finally, he has admitted that he just can’t.
“I would say that if you read it, it’s pretty clear, I’m not allowed to run,” Trump said to reporters on an Air Force One flight on Oct. 29. “It’s too bad.”
I voted for Trump, but this realization is not, in fact, “too bad.” It’s great. And not for the reasons you think. It’s not because Trump has been, or will be, an awful president, or even because the Constitution forbids it, although I’m glad to see that Trump recognizes this. (I guess he’s no authoritarian king after all?)
It’s great because the Republican Party can continue to improve beyond Trump. MAGA and Trump were never the endgame for the Republican Party. He’s a transitory figure paving the way for an even better GOP. Hopefully, Vice President JD Vance and a handful of other Republicans will be ready to take the baton.
Will JD Vance be president in 2028? He’s ready.
I like a lot of the policies Trump has instituted. I think history will show, in time, that he’s been an effective – and in some ways unprecedented – leader. But I still think the best is yet to come for the Republican Party and Americans, if they continue to trust in conservative ideals to improve their way of life. Vance could be the ideal candidate to make this happen in 2028. If he wins, I have a feeling that Vance 1.0 will be even better than Trump 2.0.
On the issues, Vance is solid. He promotes a secure border and tax cuts, and he’s an enthusiastic defender of free speech. Vance did spur controversy when he called for consequences to cynics who mocked the death of conservative star Charlie Kirk. But I don’t think that makes him less of a champion of free speech – it points out the ghoulish nature of the left – and probably endeared him more to the right.
But what I really like is that Vance has strengths where Trump has weaknesses. This was clear during Vance’s vice presidential debate against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in the 2024 election, but it’s been obvious recently as he’s stepped into the role.
On Oct. 29, Vance showed this during a Q&A session at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, continuing Kirk’s legacy.
He advocated considering a legal immigration slowdown, saying, “I can believe that the United States should lower its levels of immigration in the future, while also respecting that there are people who have come here through lawful immigration pathways that have contributed to the country. … Does that mean that we’re thereby committed to letting in a million, or 10 million, or 100 million people a year in the future? No, that’s not right.”
Vance is just a far clearer, direct, concise communicator than Trump or any Democratic leader right now.
Vance could propel the GOP forward
Trump and Vance campaigned on the idea of “America First.” I have no problem with that, but Republicans have been a little stuck on Trump, conflating America First with Trump. This has been unfortunate. The GOP needs to move beyond Trump − and Vance could be the path forward, pushing the GOP toward an idea-focused conservatism, not one obsessed with one man.
Vance is able to be effectively quiet and reassuring, perhaps due to his adjustment to his chaotic childhood and humble roots, and to the American spirit that eventually took him to Yale Law School. Vance’s rags-to-riches story is inspiring, and he seems kind and grateful because of it, not arrogant and entitled.
So far, Americans seem open to this. It’s really early, of course, but a recent 2028 New Hampshire GOP RealClear Polling primary poll shows Vance besting other potential GOP candidates by miles.
Every time I’ve seen Vance speak I think, I want to live in Vance’s America. It’s been great to have Trump, but Vance will pave the way for conservatism to move forward even more.
Nicole Russell is a columnist at USA TODAY and a mother of four who lives in Texas. Contact her at nrussell@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @russell_nm. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, The Right Track, here.