Chris Cillizza Warns ‘Democrats Underestimate JD Vance At Their Own Peril’

NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza said during a Thursday live stream on his YouTube channel that he thinks Vice President JD Vance is a formidable potential 2028 presidential candidate, whom “Democrats underestimate at their own peril.”

An Emerson poll published on Thursday found Vance leading over several prominent Republicans and Democrats — including potential 2028 contenders — with a 46% favorability rating. Reacting to the poll on X, Cillizza wrote that the numbers reinforced his view that Democrats fail to grasp “Vance’s appeal,” a point he reiterated during his YouTube channel live stream. (RELATED: How JD Vance Emerged Unscathed From Elon Musk’s West Wing Frenzy)

Numbers like this just confirm my broader belief that Democrats underestimate Vance’s appeal in 2028 at their own peril https://t.co/CVHvy28nQp

— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) December 18, 2025

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“I’m pretty bullish on JD Vance,” Cillizza said on his live stream. “I think Democrats underestimate JD Vance at their own peril, which I think they’re doing.”

Cillizza also said earlier in the broadcast that he believed Donald Trump Jr. was the sole Republican who could potentially defeat Vance for the 2028 GOP nomination, though he added that he did not expect the president’s son to campaign against the vice president, with whom he is friends.

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said in August that Vance seemed to be in a strong position to secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, citing his significant advantage in early polling and the historic success of sitting vice presidents when seeking their party’s nomination.

“Look, this is early polling, but look, for the GOP nomination, it’s JD Vance at 40%,” Enten said. “There’s no one even close to him. [Republican Florida Gov] Ron DeSantis back at single digits at eight. Donald Trump Jr. back at 7%.”

“[K]eep in mind that early favorites have actually gone on to win the nomination 63% of the time — those who have run since 1980,” he said.

President Donald Trump said during an August White House ceremony that Vance was “probably favored” to carry the Make America Great Again [MAGA] mantle in 2028. He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form.”

Rubio told Vanity Fair in an interview published Tuesday that if Vance runs in 2028, “he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him.” The secretary of state asserted on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump” in July that “JD Vance would be a great nominee” if he were to seek the presidency.

Political analyst Mark Halperin also predicted on Fox News’ “Special Report” in May that Vance and Rubio could lead the ticket.

“I really do think JD Vance and Marco Rubio could end up being a preordained ticket in 2028 unlike we’ve ever seen before,” he said.

Moreover, Vance held a one-point lead over Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom in an October Emerson College hypothetical poll of the 2028 presidential race.

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