A prominent conservative senator has become the first sitting member of Congress to formally line up behind Vice President JD Vance as the preferred standard-bearer for the America First movement in 2028.
According to The Daily Signal, Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., a close ally of President Donald Trump, is openly urging conservatives to rally behind Vance as the natural heir to the populist, pro-worker, and pro-sovereignty agenda that reshaped the Republican Party. Banks, who has long championed Trumps policies on border security, trade, and cultural issues, believes the vice president will carry on our America First agenda if he chooses to seek the presidency in 2028.
Vice President JD Vance is the clear choice in 2028 to carry on our America First agenda and I look forward to supporting him, Banks said, signaling that the conservative grassroots should begin coalescing early around a candidate who shares Trumps instincts. His endorsement underscores the growing view on the Right that continuitynot a return to pre-Trump Republicanismis essential to confronting the administrative state, globalist economic policies, and progressive cultural overreach.
The Indiana senators backing of Vance comes as he openly mocks talk of more moderate Republicans testing the waters for a presidential bid. It is laughable that Don Bacon, one of the most irrelevant and anti-Trump members of Congress over the last decade, would think he could run for president, Banks told the IndyStar on Monday, drawing a sharp contrast between Vances populist credentials and Rep. Don Bacons, R-Neb., establishment-friendly record.
Although Vance has not formally declared a 2028 campaign, he is already emerging as a favorite among some congressional Republicans who want to cement the partys realignment toward working-class voters. He has also attracted early support from conservative influencers, including endorsements from figures such as Erika Kirk, reinforcing the sense that the America First movement is preparing its next champion well in advance.
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