2028 Presidential election candidates: Full list of Republican hopefuls eyeing the White House
JD Vance of Ohio is widely viewed as Trump's political heir. As a key member of Trump's administration, he enters the 2028 conversation in a commanding position. Republican voters see him as closely aligned with Trump's agenda.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reemerging as a contender. Despite past criticism of Trump, Rubio is now seen as a loyal team player. His prior run in 2016 — where he placed third in Iowa — gives him built-in name recognition and a base of support in early states.
Sen. Ted Cruz, who won Iowa in 2016 and finished second to Trump in that cycle, has remained politically active. He has maintain a high profile and kept the door open for another run. Cruz would bring experience, conservative credentials, and a national network to the race.
A growing group of Republican governors could shake up the race:
Glenn Youngkin (Virginia): With his term ending soon due to Virginia's one-term limit, Youngkin will soon be a free agent. His 2021 win in a blue-leaning state makes him a compelling post-Trump option.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Arkansas): As Trump's former press secretary and now governor, Sanders remains a prominent voice in GOP politics. Her deep ties to Trump's base could make her a formidable contender.
Brian Kemp (Georgia): Despite past tensions with Trump over the 2020 election, Kemp has remained a strong conservative leader and now chairs the Republican Governors Association — giving him donor access and national exposure.
Ron DeSantis (Florida): After a failed 2024 run, DeSantis appears to have mended fences with Trump. His continued focus on hardline immigration policies and prior campaign infrastructure make him a likely 2028 candidate.
Greg Abbott (Texas): Another governor closely aligned with Trump's immigration agenda, Abbott may leverage Texas' electoral heft to stake a claim in the race.
Several sitting Republican senators are also being watched:
Tim Scott (South Carolina): After his 2024 campaign, Scott ended with stronger ties to Trump, though questions remain about his ability to campaign for himself rather than Trump's ideas.
Rand Paul (Kentucky) and Rick Scott (Florida): Both have been active in early primary states and continue to promote fiscally conservative policies.
Josh Hawley (Missouri) and Tom Cotton (Arkansas): These senators remain on watch lists for their conservative positions and willingness to engage in national debates.
As 2028 approaches, the Republican field is likely to grow, but early signs point to Vance, Rubio, DeSantis, and Youngkin as leading figures in a post-Trump GOP — each vying to define the party's future without its longtime standard-bearer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
19 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
After 'Dog Babu', ‘Donald Trump' applies for Bihar residence certificate amid voter list revision, Opposition reacts
A bizarre string of fake applications in Bihar amid electoral roll revision drive continues, with the latest being an online request for a residence certificate in the name of US President Donald Trump. A screengrab of the fake residence certificate application submitted in the name of US President Donald Trump from Bihar's Samastipur district, now under investigation.(Screengrab from X/@ANI) The application that was filed from Samastipur comes after similar prank entries in the names of 'Dog Babu', 'Dogesh Babu', and even 'Sonalika Tractor', which carried the photo of a Bhojpuri actor. Authorities have rejected all such applications and lodged FIRs. In Trump's case, the application submitted on July 29 claimed he was a resident of Hasanpur village in Mohiuddin Nagar block, with a passport-style photo and even his actual parents' names — Frederick Christ Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod — listed, reported news agency PTI. The district administration rejected the application on August 4 and called the act a 'diabolical attempt' to disrupt the ongoing SIR drive. 'It appears there is a diabolical attempt to negatively impact the special intensive revision of electoral rolls which is underway as per the instructions of the Election Commission,' the administration said in a statement, as cited by PTI. The Samastipur district administration confirmed that a case has been registered at the Cyber Police Station for appropriate investigation. 'In view of the seriousness of the offence, a case has been lodged at the Cyber police station, Samastipur, for appropriate investigation and action,' the statement added. Opposition leaders slam electoral roll revision The incident has drawn strong reactions from the Opposition. Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala shared a news clip on social media that falsely claimed a certificate had been issued to the Trump application. 'This is the biggest proof that electoral roll revision in Bihar is a fraud, aimed at stealing votes. The Congress and Rahul Gandhi are fighting to thwart this design. Keeping quiet in such a situation is a crime. Let us all raise our voices and become watchdogs of democracy,' Surjewala said. The administration clarified, saying, 'The certificate has never been issued. Somebody has deliberately made such an application and it was rejected during scrutiny. An FIR has also been lodged. The guilty will not be spared,' the response read. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also criticised the Election Commission, mocking the process, she shared a video on 'X'. 'An exercise which the Election Commission has put its stamp on, which says it is comprehensive and it is accurate. Why don't you decide for yourself? We have in the district of Samastipur, an online application in the name of Donald Trump,' Moitra said. She further said the ongoing SIR was 'nothing but an exercise in mass disenfranchisement', claiming 65 lakh voters had been deleted without proper discussion. 'These forms are including mythical or animal photos and clearly made up names and addresses. The Lord Ram application lists Raja Dashrath and Maa Kaushalya as the parents... So this is the state of the SIR application,' Moitra added, referring to similar fake entries found in Khagaria district. (With PTI inputs)
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Why India singled out for extra sanctions over buying Russian oil? Trump answers
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said a lot more secondary sanctions are upcoming, after he was asked why only India was singled out for penalties over doing business with Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C.(REUTERS) During a press conference at the White House, Trump was asked about India's response to him doubling its tariffs to 50 per cent on Wednesday. New Delhi had pointed that the US was imposing additional tariffs on India for "actions that several other countries are also taking". Responding to the question, Trump said, "It's only been 8 hours. So let's see what happens. You're going to see a lot going to see so much secondary sanctions." Plans for more tariffs on China? Trump was also asked specifically about China, another country that does business with Russia, and whether he plans to hike tariffs on that country as well. Trump responded, "Could happen. Depends on how we do. Could happen." Earlier on Tuesday, Trump's own party leader Nikki Haley had urged against a "pass to China" as she backed India and called the country a strong ally for the United States. "India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause. Don't give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India," she wrote on X. Trump doubles down on tariff attack On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order, imposing additional 25 per cent tariffs on all Indian goods entering the US, on top of the 25 per cent duties announced last week. In his earlier tariff announcement for India, Trump had threatened penalties for the country, citing its purchase of energy and military equipment from Russia. The additional 25% will take effect on August 27, and would put Indian exporters at a significant disadvantage compared to countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam – which face tariffs of between 19% and 20%. India slammed Trump's latest move "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable". It had earlier accused the US and the European Union of unfairly targeting New Delhi for its trade with Russia.
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump plans 100% tariff on chips, semiconductors unless companies build in US
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will impose a 100% tariff on computer chips, raising the specter of higher prices for electronics, autos, household appliances and other essential products dependent on the processors powering the digital age. 'We'll be putting a tariff of approximately 100% on chips and semiconductors,' Trump said in the Oval Office while meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook. 'But if you're building in the United States of America, there's no charge.' The announcement came more than three months after Trump temporarily exempted most electronics from his administration's most onerous tariffs. The Republican president said companies that make computer chips in the U.S. would be spared the import tax. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of computer chips increased the price of autos and contributed to higher inflation. Investors seemed to interpret the potential tariff exemptions as a positive for Apple and other major tech companies that have been making huge financial commitments to manufacture more chips and other components in the U.S.. Big Tech already has made collective commitments to invest about $1.5 trillion in the U.S. since Trump moved back into the White House in January. That figure includes a $600 billion promise from Apple after the iPhone maker boosted its commitment by tacking another $100 billion on to a previous commitment made in February. Now the question is whether the deal brokered between Cook and Trump will be enough to insulate the millions of iPhones made in China and India from the tariffs that the administration has already imposed and reduce the pressure on the company to raise prices on the new models expected to be unveiled next month. Wall Street certainly seems to think so. After Apple's stock price gained 5% in Wednesday regular trading sessions, the shares rose by another 3% in extended trading after Trump announced some tech companies won't be hit with the latest tariffs while Cook stood alongside him. The shares of AI chipmaker Nvidia, which also has recently made big commitments to the U.S., rose slightly in extended trading to add to the $1 trillion gain in market value the Silicon Valley company has made since the start of Trump's second administration. The stock price of computer chip pioneer Intel, which has fallen on hard times, also climbed in extended trading. Inquiries sent to chip makers Nvidia and Intel were not immediately answered. The chip industry's main trade group, the Semiconductor Industry Association, declined to comment on Trump's latest tariffs. Demand for computer chips has been climbing worldwide, with sales increasing 19.6% in the year-ended in June, according to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization. Trump's tariff threats mark a significant break from existing plans to revive computer chip production in the U.S. that were drawn up during the administration of President Joe Biden. Since taking over from Biden, Trump has been deploying tariffs to incentivize more domestic production. Essentially, the president is betting that the threat of dramatically higher chip costs would force most companies to open factories domestically, despite the risk that tariffs could squeeze corporate profits and push up prices for mobile phones, TVs and refrigerators. By contrast, the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act that Biden signed into law in 2022 provided more than $50 billion to support new computer chip plants, fund research and train workers for the industry. The mix of funding support, tax credits and other financial incentives were meant to draw in private investment, a strategy that Trump has vocally opposed.
