And I don't want to jinx it, but neither of them are presidential material (though neither was their dad, and here we are)

Thiel is a political activist, who has supported dozens of far right wing candidates. JD Vance is one of these candidates, and I think Trump accepted Vance because of campaign contributions from Thiel.
As a result, Trump most likely thinks Vance is more loyal to the man who made him than he would be to Trump. We all know that personal loyalty is the most important quality Trump wants to see in anyone who is on his team. Any question about Vance's loyalty would get him dumped as VP if there is a 2028 election, and Trump is on the Republican ticket.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/17/peter-thiel-boosted-jd-vance-career/74397520007/

Plus, Trump needs to survive that long, especially mentally.

I'm not willing to write him off unless there is a 2026 election and the Democrats win at least the House of Representatives. The tighter the control the Republicans get on government, the less the Constitution will matter. The 2028 presidential election may not adhere to the Constitution.
I also see Trump continuing to degrade mentally. This may be why he's talking about not wanting Vance. He doesn't see Vance as a worthy successor, and he knows, but won't admit, that his days are numbered.
Unless Trump dies in office, Vance won't be his successor if Trump can help it.

He does not need to worry about anything because he is already living on borrowed time. I don't care if HE thinks he is a paragon of health and virility, he truth is readily apparent in the skin tone under the paint, the missing hair under the toupee and the utterly laughable suits he wears.

He won't need a successor because he is unlikely to be alive in 2028 anyway...

Or certainly during the Joe Biden interregnum. And yet, here we are...

We have an administration who is disappearing anyone they claim is a criminal with no judicial oversight. They took over the entire federal government with no oversight of Congress. They claim to have absolute power over everything and are ignoring it when the courts try to intervene. They have destroyed our economy and our relationships with our allies.

At this rate, the country won't be recogniczable in another year.

And those countries rightly blame our electorate because in 20 years from now another Trump could be elected again unless we on the Left remain vigilant.

For 2028 until he gets the best offer. Art of the deal and all.

I'm serious, he's not going to give it away. He's going to extract the highest dollar offer to back somebody

It's f'ing golden! And we all know how he is about gold.

Last edited Thu May 1, 2025, 02:02 PM - Edit history (1)

The GOP only ran him because they have nobody else that has his star power.

I disagree with that statement. Many Republicans have blasted Trump in the past. He forgave all of them as long as they support him now. Many in high-level cabinet positions.

per the Constitution, the vice president can only be removed by resignation, death, or impeachment and conviction. Now, Donnie can ignore his VP, give him an office in the White House subbasement, keep him totally out of the loop on everything, but he can't legally get rid of him. If I remember correctly back to last August, the only reason Vance got to be the VP candidate was that Donnie Jr pushed for him, and Donnie Sr tends to believe the last person he speaks to.

Donnie's convinced himself that he's entitled to run for a 3rd term despite the 22nd amendment and therefore will have no need of a successor.

To be his successor.

It's all about the grift. My guess is he wants the Trumps to be the new political dynasty like the Kennedys or the Bushes. It's why he was pushing for Eric's wife to be the senator in Florida. He'll probably push for Don Jr. to be up in 2028 is my guess.

He as much as said that on the campaign trail. "You won't ever have to vote again"....

What will actually stop Trump on his quest to be dictator, will be when his handlers (i.e., Putin, et al) don't find him useful any longer. Vance may have been put on the ticket with that in mind. I don't know.