Fox News personalities Brian Kilmeade and Brit Hume voiced skepticism on Wednesday about Vice President Mike Vance's prospects in the 2028 presidential race, noting his close ties to President Donald Trump might hurt his bid for the Republican nomination.
"I just don't think that Vance is as popular as he thinks he is with Republicans," Kilmeade said on his radio program "The Brian Kilmeade Show" while speaking with Hume.
The hosts were reviewing a possible lineup of 2028 contenders and Kilmeade suggested Vance, widely seen as an early front-runner, could encounter obstacles depending on how Republicans view Trump at the end of his second term.
"I have a suspicion about Vance, he's everybody's ideal frontrunner, and he may be," Hume remarked, then questioned whether the vice president's loyalty to Trump would ultimately help or hurt his ambitions.
"If you're as attached to the hip to Trump as indeed Vance is, it's a good question of if that's a liability or a benefit," Hume added. "I think it might end up being a liability."
Kilmeade pushed back, arguing the president's standing could improve as his administration advances its agenda.
"I think it's going to end differently, I actually do," Kilmeade said, pointing to the administration's handling of Iran while maintaining his doubt about Vance's popularity among Republican voters and suggesting the vice president could face a tougher primary than expected.
The dialogue also mentioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio, another Republican whose name has been floated for 2028.
Hume warned the GOP primary might become crowded despite early focus on Vance and Rubio, and he noted Democrats could struggle to build a campaign around opposition to Trump, who has recorded low approval ratings in his second term, as the president prepares to leave office.
Trump has not formally endorsed any successor, leaving open whether Vance will run with the president's backing or meet competition from other administration members.
