Trump's 2028 successors are already fighting over who to blame for GOP midterm wipeout

JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis are already jockeying to succeed Donald Trump in 2028, offering competing explanations for the GOP's midterm wipeout while Trump keeps his potential heirs guessing about his intentions. The three Republicans have diverged over who deserves blame for the losses, a dispute that could shape the party's direction and the early 2028 primary field. Their maneuvering matters because Trump has not anointed a successor, leaving the party's donor class and activists to read tea leaves from each contender's post-election messaging. What to watch next is whether Trump weighs in publicly on the blame game and whether the rivals begin drawing sharper distinctions on policy and style.