Is 2026 the year of JD Vance?

One of the major story lines I’ll be following in 2026 is the future of the Republican Party after Donald Trump leaves office.

As polls stand today, Democrats appear poised to retake the House majority and could compete for the Senate majority in the midterm elections, circumstances that seemed unthinkable on Election Day 2024.

After the midterms, the GOP will truly have to contend with President Trump the lame duck — and Vance is, for now, best positioned to succeed him as heir to the MAGA movement.

I joined Laura Barron-Lopez in studio for MSNOW to talk about Vance’s path forward, and how he might think about assistance from Elon Musk, one of Trump’s top 2024 political benefactors, and other conservative tech-sector donors.

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Is 2026 the year of JD Vance? I jumped on @msnow to think about the vice president could soon come to lead Trump's MAGA movement. #news #... See more

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My Washington Post colleagues Elizabeth Dwoskin, Natalie Allison and Faiz Siddiqui reported on Vance and Musk’s relationship and how the vice president repaired the relationship between the former head of DOGE and the president.

It’s a great story that’s worth your time. Read it here (🎁 link). 

Please keep in touch. Email me at [email protected] and contact me securely on Signal at jacobbogage.87. And follow me on Bluesky: @jacobbogage.bsky.social.