Romney predicts Vance will be GOP’s 2028 nominee: ‘MAGA is the Republican Party’

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) predicted Vice President-elect Vance will be the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nominee.

Romney joined CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday for his congressional exit interview, where host Jake Tapper asked him about a post-Trump Republican Party.

“Oh, MAGA is the Republican Party, and Donald Trump is the Republican Party today,” Romney said.

“And if you were to ask me who the nominee will be in 2028, it’ll be JD Vance,” he continued.

The Utah Senator noted that Vance, who Trump chose as his running mate over the summer, is likely going to be the next GOP leader because he is smart, well spoken and believes in the MAGA movement.

Romney has been a critic of both Trump and Vance, which he said Sunday he didn’t want to rehash. Since his critical comments of Vance, they have worked together in the Senate, he said.

He noted in the interview that going forward, both parties will likely have to reevaluate their messaging to voters, particularly those who swung from the left to the right in the most recent election.

Earlier this month, Romney delivered his farewell speech on the Senate floor. He called for bipartisanship and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to work toward unity in a time of heightened partisanship.