U.S. President Donald Trump said "no” when asked if he viewed Vice President JD Vance as his successor, saying it was too early to make such a determination.
"No, but he’s very capable,” Trump told Fox News anchor Bret Baier in an interview taped last week, excerpts from which were released on Monday.
"I think you have a lot of very capable people,” Trump continued. "So far I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early.”
Vance, a former U.S. senator from Ohio, has embraced Trump’s brand of economic populism, leading to his selection on the Republican ticket. Trump’s comments come as Vance is in Europe, attending a summit on artificial intelligence in Paris, a top priority for the White House. He’ll also represent the U.S. at the Munich Security Conference.
Vance is 40, nearly four decades younger than Trump, 78, and his selection as Trump’s running mate was seen as a generational shift for the party and a way for Republicans to bolster their appeal among white working-class voters who were once a bedrock of the Democratic party.
Trump’s first vice president was Mike Pence. The two had a falling out after Pence refused to block the certification of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential win.
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