These are the top names in contention for Defense secretary under Trump
National security minds in Washington, D.C., are awaiting President-elect Donald Trump’s decision for Defense secretary. Trump’s pick of Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., as his national security adviser and his expected pick of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary of state, set a tone for his foreign policy that is expected to be hawkish on China and Iran. Whoever Trump picks for Defense secretary will oversee major changes within the Pentagon, both a reorienting of troop posture abroad and an across-the-board stripping of DEI provisions they believe caused the Pentagon to go “woke” under President Biden. A litany of names has been tossed around for who could lead the government’s largest agency, with one running theme: while his pick needs to pass a Senate confirmation, Trump is expected to appoint a loyalist who will not undermine him. During his first term, five men held the job as Pentagon chief only to resign, be fired or serve briefly as a stopgap. One possibility is Robert Wilkie, Trump’s former Veterans’ Affairs secretary. Prior to his VA confirmation in 2018, he served as undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness under Trump and served in both the Navy and Air Force Reserve. Wilkie has been leading the Trump transition team with Pentagon staffing. GOP REP. MIKE WALTZ TAPPED TO BE TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER Wilkie is a fellow at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute and a military analyst for Newsmax. Another name is Robert O’Brien, Trump’s former national security adviser who has also been involved with the transition team. O’Brien told Fox News Digital that “of course” he would return to a Trump administration. O’Brien has been outspoken about the need to pivot U.S. defenses to China. He said the way to force Russia to the negotiating table with Ukraine was through steeper sanctions – and bringing Ukraine into NATO “risks World War III.” Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence and German ambassador, was also expected to land a national security role in this administration. With the state and national security adviser roles filled, he, too, could land at the Department of Defense. Throughout the campaign, Grenell advised Trump on foreign policy and political issues, and led outreach to Arab Americans in Michigan. He appeared with Trump in September when he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Grenell was a pro-Trump antagonist to Europe during his time in Germany, with the former president joking about former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s happiness when Grenell was moved to the national security role. US REP. MIKE ROGERS BEING CONSIDERED FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE UNDER TRUMP Sen. Joni Ernst, the defense-minded Iowa Republican and current GOP conference chair, has also been floated as a possibility, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital, but she remains “laser-focused” on her GOP conference chair race. She also served in the Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard. If picked, she would be the first female Defense secretary. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., head of the House Armed Services Committee, was also under consideration and has been contacted by the transition team, a source familiar confirmed. However, two sources said that Trump is likely to pull from the private sector for this role. Picking from Congress would whittle away narrow GOP majorities in those chambers, at least until seats were filled. Rogers is also a staunch supporter of aiding Ukraine – a position that might put him at odds with Trump. Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who held high-level national security posts during Trump’s first term, has also been named as a possibility. “The president is going to make the call on who is in his administration,” Kellogg recently told Fox News Radio’s Guy Benson, while suggesting he would say yes if the president called. “It’s going to be a very loyal team.” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., had been a lead contender for an administration role, likely Defense secretary or CIA head, but pulled his name from the running, a source confirmed. He is running for Republican Conference chair and is likely to take over Rubio’s position as head of the Intelligence Committee. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been floated, but on Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Pompeo would not be joining this administration – and neither would former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
AOC bombarded with comments after asking followers why they supported her and Trump
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., fielded dozens of answers after asking her followers why they supported both her and President-elect Donald Trump in last week’s election. “I voted Trump, but I like you and Bernie. I don’t trust either party’s establishment politicians,” one of Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram followers told the New York lawmaker Monday during a livestream. The comment came in response to Ocasio-Cortez asking followers “who supported both Trump and me” or “Trump/Democrat” to explain their decision-making. AOC SLAPPED WITH COMMUNITY NOTE AFTER CLAIMING MASSIVE PUERTO RICAN RALLY HAD TO DO WITH ANTI-TRUMP MOVEMENT Comments were quick to flow in, with Ocasio-Cortez attempting to appear non-judgemental while assuring followers she was genuinely curious about their rationale. “I feel that you both are outsiders compared to the rest of DC, and less establishment,” one comment said. “You signified change. Trump signified change. I’ve said lately, Trump sounds more like you,” added another. The comments also come as Trump performed significantly better in the Bronx and Queens, which make up much of Ocasio-Cortez’s district, in 2024. Trump lost Queens by nearly 24 points and the Bronx by around 45 points last week, a drastic improvement from his losses of 45 and 67 points in the two boroughs, respectively, in 2020. The result was a curious one for Ocasio-Cortez, who noted that many people who sent her to a nearly 38-point victory in the district must have also voted for the former president. The progressive lawmaker explained she was seeking to “understand and adapt” to the reality, noting the livestream session was a way to “dig in” to what her supporters were feeling. AOC, ELON MUSK SPAR AFTER TWITTER CEO SUSPENDS CNN, NYT, WAPO JOURNOS FOR POSTING ‘ASSASSINATION COORDINATES’ “Trump is going to get us the money and lets men have a voice. You’re brilliant and have amazing passion,” one follower told her. “It’s real simple… Trump and you care for the working class,” another said. “I feel like Trump and you are both real,” added another. “You are focused on the real issues people care about. Similar to Trump populism in some ways,” one follower reasoned. Another theme of the livestream session was the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza, with many of the lawmaker’s followers arguing that Trump was better equipped to bring an end to the situation. “I voted for Trump and you, not genocide Harris. Dems need Bernie,” one commenter said. “I know people that did this and it was bc of Gaza,” added another. “Because of Gaza,” one follower plainly stated. “I voted Trump and dems because he reached out to Muslims,” noted one comment.
Trump tapping 2 House Republicans for future admin fuels concerns about slim majority
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of two House Republicans to serve in his administration could pose issues if the GOP’s majority in the chamber ends up critically thin. Trump has selected House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as his ambassador to the United Nations, while a source told Fox News Digital that he picked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his National Security Adviser (NSA). Both represent Republican stronghold districts that have little chance of falling into Democratic hands in special elections. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE But those special elections could take place weeks or months after the new term begins in January 2025 – which could slow down Trump’s plans for an ambitious first 100-day agenda. “That’s an agenda we’ve been working on with President Trump for months now. We didn’t wait until the day after the election to start planning this, and this shows the relentless focus of Donald Trump,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said during a press conference on Tuesday. “I know he’s already pulled a few really talented people out of the House – hopefully no more for a little while until special elections come up, but it shows you the talent that we have and the ability we have.” HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly said he did not believe Trump would select any more House members for his administration and said he and Trump broached the topic in discussions. “President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it’s just a numbers game. You know, we believe we’re going to have a larger majority than we had last time. It’s too early to handicap it, but we are optimistic about that,” Johnson said. ‘GOT OUR A–ES KICKED’: DEMS PRIVATELY FRET ABOUT LOSING HOUSE AFTER GOP VICTORY IN WHITE HOUSE, SENATE “But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So, I think he and administration are well attuned to that. I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving, but I’ll leave that up to him.” House Republicans are on track to win a single-digit majority in the chamber. It’s not much different than it was during the 118th Congress, but GOP leaders will likely face more pressure to keep members in line when working to enact Trump’s will.
Fetterman hails Rubio as ‘strong choice’ for secretary of state, says he will vote to confirm him
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has called Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who President-elect Donald Trump is expected to tap to serve as secretary of state, a “strong choice” for the cabinet-level role. “Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own,” Fetterman wrote in a post on X. “That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.” If Rubio does take on the job next year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be able to appoint a temporary replacement to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat until a special election is held for the seat. TRUMP EXPECTED TO NAME SEN. MARCO RUBIO AS SECRETARY OF STATE Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., has called Rubio “an outstanding choice.” “Senator Rubio has a proven record of promoting freedom, defending American interests on the global stage, and standing firm against threats from the CCP. His leadership will be invaluable in advancing our nation’s values and priorities abroad,” Steube said in a tweet. Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., said in a statement that, “President Trump has made a truly historic and brilliant choice in selecting Senator Marco Rubio as our nation’s Secretary of State.” AOC FIRES BACK AT FETTERMAN, ACCUSES HIM OF ‘BLEAK DUNK ATTEMPT’ Rubio has announced that he is supporting fellow Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott for the role of Senate Republican Leader. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and John Thune, R-S.D. are also vying for the role. Senate Republicans are slated to hold the vote on Wednesday. TOM COTTON LIKELY TO SUCCEED MARCO RUBIO IN TOP INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE POST Rubio has served in the Senate since 2011.
Trump expected to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Mike Johnson says
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said there are “preliminary plans” for President-elect Donald Trump to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The Louisiana Republican broke the news during a Tuesday morning press conference in response to Fox News Digital’s question about whether he and Trump had discussed the issue of government funding. “I didn’t intend to break this as news this morning,” Johnson said when asked by another reporter to elaborate. “But since I said it… President Trump is going to be meeting with President Biden at the White House. And so, it was suggested – in fact, that he, I think he said it first before I did – but, that he wanted to come and visit with House Republicans.” JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ He said House leaders were “working out the details” of his visit, which would take place before his meeting with Biden. “That would be a great meeting and moment for all of us,” Johnson said. Johnson said he would also be at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, over the weekend to discuss government funding and other federal priorities. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE The speaker has forged a close working relationship with Trump since winning the gavel in late October 2023, after the historic ouster of his predecessor. Even before Trump won the election, Johnson would keep the then-former president abreast of his policy and legislative decisions for the House before making them public. Wednesday will be Trump’s first day back in the nation’s capital since he won the 2024 election. HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY The Tuesday morning press conference was held to celebrate Republican victories in the White House and Senate, and tout the GOP’s confidence in keeping the House majority. Several close races are yet to be decided, but enough are trending Republicans’ way that leaders have already assumed they will hold the levers of power in Washington.
Anthony Weiner mulls return: Disgraced ex-pol says New York City needs new leadership
Disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., responded to rumors regarding his potential return to the public scene, years after he resigned from Congress amid the first of several sexting scandals. The one-time nom de guerre “Carlos Danger” last served on New York City Council in the 1990s representing Sheepshead Bay and Brighton Beach. Responding to calls from reporters and listeners to his 77WABC radio program, Weiner said Monday he loves his hometown very much, as talk of a new bid in Manhattan surfaced. He pointed to fellow 77WABC host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who mounted an unsuccessful Republican bid against Eric Adams in 2021, suggesting he too is not done with public service. “The way I always unpack these things is ‘what does it mean for me and my neighbors?’ The city has always been the way that I have looked at service. And, you know, we are Democrats. We stand up… for each other… we don’t like people being victimized by bullies,” Weiner said. NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP POLICIES ‘CONTRARY TO VALUES’ Weiner said New York City should always be the “shining laboratory” of Democratic Party ideals and said that “for years we had Republicans running this town.” From 1994 to 2002, Republican Rudy Giuliani served as mayor. He was succeeded by Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Independent Michael Bloomberg until 2013. The City Council, however, has historically been a supermajority of Democrats. “I would always say, if we can’t come up with solutions for this city, and we can’t show that they can work, we don’t deserve to win… I love my city. This is a city that is proudly governed by Democrats.” Weiner said that, in contrast, there are issues with New York that seem “intractable” – citing the years-to-decades it takes to build infrastructure, sky-high taxation and the fact that when he rides the bus, “I’d be surprised if half the people paid.” Weiner blamed part of the homeless and migrant problem on a 1979 class action suit brought against then-Gov. Hugh L. Carey and Mayor Ed Koch that resulted in the “Callahan Decree” – which instituted a right-to-shelter for homeless men. However, Weiner continued through a litany of things he would like to see improved about the city, such as being able to walk into a Duane Reade with his son and not find most of the store’s goods locked up. GOP WINS FIRST BLUE-CITY SENATE SEAT IN THREE DECADES “And as someone who has struggled with addiction, someone who lost his brother, I mean, I don’t know if we are running headlong into these things because they seem like the right thing to do without thinking.” Weiner said people in his neighborhood have approached him about a return as well. He noted Councilwoman Carlina Rivera of Kips Bay is term-limited, which would place Weiner’s home in an open district. “People said: ‘Anthony, why don’t you run?’” He addressed the elephant in the room, remarking that there are “all kinds of reasons not to – least of which are the things in my past and the things about my addiction.” Weiner was once seen as then-Rep. Chuck Schumer’s protégé and had a close relationship with his fellow Brooklynite. When Schumer gave up his House seat and successfully won the Senate seat of retiring Republican Al D’Amato, Weiner replaced him. However, Weiner resigned from Congress in 2011 after admitting to sending women explicit photos. After his resignation, Weiner continued sexting under the pseudonym “Carlos Danger.” The main recipient, Sydney Leathers, claimed the former lawmaker referred to himself as “an argumentative, perpetually horny middle-aged man.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A few years later, he was embroiled in another sexting scandal during which he separated from his wife, longtime Hillary Clinton confidante Huma Abedin. After claims surfaced again, this time that Weiner had sexted a teenager in North Carolina, his laptop was seized. Investigators found emails pertinent to Clinton’s classified documents scandal that preceded her upset loss to President-elect Donald Trump. Weiner later checked himself into rehab for sex addiction, and in 2017 was sentenced in his federal sexting case – which imploded his then-bid for mayor. He remains a registered sex offender. Weiner remained upbeat in speaking out about his potential opportunity to help New York. “We’re at a moment that we Democrats, seem like we come into knife fights carrying library books all the time,” he said. “I’m thinking about it. I’m wrestling with it. I’m trying to figure out. I don’t know. I mean, I love doing this job on the radio, but I want to be of service. I think everyone should think that way.” “We’re Democrats, we solve problems.” The City Council currently sits at a 45-6 Democratic majority, but Republicans doubled their ranks recently and now have at least one member from every borough except Manhattan.
South Korea’s president is picking up golf in hopes to impress Trump
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has reportedly started practicing his golf game in anticipation of meeting President-elect Donald Trump. Yoon started the practice after holding a brief phone call with Trump congratulating him on his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Days after the call, Yoon “got out his golf clubs for the first time in eight years and resumed his golf practice,” his office told NBC News. The effort echoes former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s relationship with Trump. The pair played golf together at least five times during Trump’s first administration, and Abe famously gifted Trump with gold-plated clubs. Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond when asked whether the president-elect hoped other world leaders would start hitting the range. UKRAINE, NORTH KOREAN TROOPS CLASH FOR FIRST TIME; ZELENSKYY WARNS OF ESCALATION Trump’s call with Yoon was one of several he received from world leaders congratulating him on his Election Day victory. So far, Trump is known to have spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as leaders from the Middle East and Asia. PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE ALLOWS ELON MUSK’S PAC TO CONTINUE $1M A DAY GIVEAWAY The Washington Post reported that Putin and Trump spoke just two days after Trum won re-election. Trump reportedly took the call from Florida and advised Putin to not escalate the war in Ukraine. The president-elect also reminded Russia’s president about the amount of U.S. military in Europe, a person familiar with the call who spoke on anonymity told the publication. ELON MUSK REVEALS HIS POLITICAL PAC’S FUTURE AMID TIGHT PRESIDENTIAL RACE Additionally, the two men talked about peace being the goal in Europe, while Trump also expressed a desire for further talks on “the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon,” several sources told The Post. Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk joined Trump on his call with Zelenskyy. “I had an excellent call with President Trump and congratulated him on his historic landslide victory — his tremendous campaign made this result possible,” Zelenskyy posted on X. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Details of Musk’s exact role were not disclosed according to reporting from Axios, though sources reported Musk expressed his intent to continue supporting Ukraine through his Starlink satellite network—a service critical to Ukraine’s wartime communications.
Biden admin touts job well done replenishing oil reserves despite depleting them by half over last 4 years
The Energy Department announced the end of replenishing the nation’s strategic oil reserves on Friday, which were depleted by nearly half under President Biden, and used the opportunity to praise the administration for the work it has done to maintain and replenish the stockpile. However, as of Nov. 1, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) inventory held just 387.2 million barrels of oil, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is compared to 638.1 million barrels that were in the SPR inventory when Biden took over the presidency from former President Donald Trump. The major drop came from Biden’s decision to flood the U.S. oil market with millions of barrels from the SPR to keep oil costs down following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision to do so was frequently met with backlash from his critics who argued the move was “political” in order to keep gas prices down ahead of the election this month. “The SPR for this administration was used as a piggy bank to lower oil prices,” said Trishia Curtis, economist at the American Energy Institute. TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA “This is smoke and mirrors to make it look OK,” added Phil Flynn, senior markets analyst at the Price Futures Group, according to Market Watch. Despite the drastic drop in SPR during Biden’s tenure, Energy Department Secretary Jennifer Granholm lauded the Biden-Haris administration for “maintain[ing] the SPR as the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil” and for “putting the economic and energy security of the American people first,” in a Friday press release from the Energy Department about the latest SPR purchase. TRUMP TO INSTALL ‘ENERGY CZAR’ TO DISMANTLE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES: REPORT “With the awarding of these contracts, DOE has fully utilized all funding allocated for crude oil purchases following the sale of 180 million barrels in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and secured 20 million more barrels at a good price for taxpayers,” Granholm concluded. However, for Energy and Environmental Legal Institute fellow and former Trump administration Environmental Protection Agency transition advisor Steve Milloy, the numbers do not add up. “It’s deceptive,” Milloy told Fox News Digital. “They’ve only bought back one-third of what they let go. Now they’re trying to say that they actually bought back more, or they put back more, but what they’re counting is oil that’s already in there.” TRUMP VOWS AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY TO SLASH ENERGY COSTS, LIFT LNG PAUSE AND ‘FRACK, FRACK, FRACK’ Meanwhile, energy expert Chris Barnard, the president of The American Conservation Coalition, posited that it was “contradictory” for the Biden administration to claim it has been focused on U.S. energy security. “It feels quite contradictory for them to tout that they’re [replenishing the SPR], while at the same time saying that they want to end oil and gas,” Barnard said. “It’s felt like a bit of whiplash between Biden’s comments on the campaign trail back in 2019 and 2020, where he even told some voters, ‘I want to end fossil fuels altogether.’ But then at the same time claiming credit for replenishing the SPR, at the same time canceling Keystone Pipeline, at the same time going and begging the Saudis to produce more oil and send it to America,” Barnard said. “Their energy idealism has run up against energy reality.” On Biden’s way out of the White House, he has been imposing tighter environmental restrictions, including just this week, when Biden approved a new tax on methane emissions and implemented tighter restrictions on oil, solar and wind energy development across more than 6,500 square miles of federal land. The Energy Department declined to comment for this story.
Tom Cotton likely to succeed Marco Rubio in top Intelligence Committee post
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton is expected to become the next chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence after President-elect Donald Trump appoints current Vice Chairman Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to the role of secretary of state in his new administration. The Arkansas Republican and outspoken critic of both China and Iran is next in line after Rubio to lead the committee, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital. JOHN THUNE SNAGS 2 MORE ENDORSEMENTS IN COMPETITIVE GOP LEADER RACE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL However, the final decision on committee leadership will be made by the Republican leader. Cotton’s office declined to comment to Fox News Digital. DEM REP RUBEN GALLEGO BEATS KARI LAKE IN BATTLE FOR ARIZONA SENATE SEAT A source familiar told Fox News Digital on Monday night that Rubio would be tapped by Trump for the coveted State Department role. However, they noted that the president-elect could still change his mind and go in a different direction. The current Intel chair is Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who will be expected to become vice chair in the new Congress when Republicans have the majority. PUBLIC PRESSURE CAMPAIGN BOOSTING RICK SCOTT COULD FALL FLAT WITH SENATE GOP COLLEAGUES, STRATEGISTS SAY Cotton notably pulled his name from cabinet consideration last week, as Axios first reported. The senator, who many had seen as a frontrunner for a top cabinet position in the next Trump administration, told the Trump transition team and fellow lawmakers that he asked for his name to be pulled from consideration, a source close to the Arkansas Republican told Fox News. TRUMP ALLIES BACK RICK SCOTT IN GOP SENATE LEADER RACE AS THEY LOOK TO INFLUENCE SECRET BALLOT Cotton is currently running for the No. 3 Republican leadership position, which he feels “confident” in locking down. The source said Trump understands Cotton’s decision and knows “he is with him all the way in the Senate.”
Vance in ‘catbird seat’ for 2028 GOP presidential nomination, but these Republicans may also run
With former president and now President-elect Donald Trump unable to run again for the White House in 2028, Vice President-elect JD Vance appears to be the heir apparent to the America First movement and the Republican Party’s powerful MAGA base. It was a point driven home by Donald Trump Jr., the former and future president’s eldest son and powerful ally of the vice president-elect. “We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance!” Trump Jr. said two weeks ago on the campaign trail in Ohio. Vance, who was elected to the Senate in Ohio just two years ago, will likely be the clear frontrunner in the next Republican presidential nomination race. HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028 “The vice president will be in the catbird seat. No question about it,” longtime Republican consultant Dave Carney told Fox News Digital. Carney, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns over the past four decades, said that Vance “is the guy to beat.” David Kochel, another longtime GOP strategist with plenty of presidential campaign experience, told Fox News that Vance is the frontrunner due to “the size and the scope of last week’s victory and the implied passing of the torch from Donald Trump.” “There will be no shortage of people looking at it. But most people looking at it are seeing the relative strength of the Trump victory and the movement,” Kochel said. Trump, in his victory speech late on Election Night, noted that he faced some criticism in July for naming Vance as his running mate, saying “I took a little heat at the beginning.” However, he emphasized “he turned out to be a good choice.” Additionally, with Trump’s support in a party firmly in the president-elect’s grip, the 40-year-old Vance will be extremely hard to knock off. However, Kochel noted that “nobody will completely defer to JD Vance. There will be a contest. There always is.” Carney added that “there may be other people who challenge him [Vance]…there’s a lot of people who want to be president, but it will be very hard a lane other than the Trump lane.” He added that a possible rough four years for the Trump/Vance administration would give potential Vance challengers “opportunities.” However, he praised the vice president-elect’s messaging and accessibility on the campaign trail and that “he is the guy to beat, regardless of whether it’s a good four years or a rough four years.” Carney also touted that the Republican Party has a “deep bench.” Here’s a look at some of those on the bench that may have national aspirations and ambitions in 2028, or beyond. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis The conservative governor of Florida was flying high after a landslide re-election in 2022, but an unsuccessful 2024 presidential primary run and a bruising battle with Trump knocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis down in stature. However, the term-limited 46-year-old governor, who has two years left in office steering Florida, proved over the past few years his fundraising prowess and retains plenty of supporters across the country. DeSantis was also able, to a degree, to repair relations with Trump, helped raise money for the GOP ticket during the general election, and earned a prime time speaking slot at July’s convention. While DeSantis may have his eyes on another White House run, with Sen. Marco Rubio likely leaving the Senate to become America’s top diplomat, there’s a possibility DeSantis could run in a 2026 special Senate election. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp The popular conservative governor is one of the few in the GOP who can claim he faced Trump’s wrath and not only survived, but thrived. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term limited, has two years left in office and enjoys strong favorable ratings in a crucial battleground state. Expect to see the 61-year-old Kemp on the campaign trail across the country for fellow Republicans in 2026, as his national profile expands. Gov. Glenn Youngkin With his 2021 gubernatorial victory – the first by a Republican in Virginia in a dozen years – Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became a GOP rising star. In Virginia, governors are limited to one consecutive four-year term, which means Youngkin has one year left in office. The 57-year-old governor, who hails from the Republican Party’s business wing but has been able to thrive in a MAGA-dominated party, likely harbors national ambitions. A first step could be a cabinet post in the second Trump administration after his term as governor ends. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was the runner-up to Trump in the blockbuster 2016 Republican presidential battle. The controversial conservative firebrand passed on challenging Trump again in 2024, as he ran for what was thought to be another difficult re-election bid, after narrowly surviving his 2018 re-election. However, the 53-year-old senator ended up winning a third six-year term in the Senate by nearly nine points. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas The Army veteran, who served in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars before becoming a rising star in Republican Party politics, was considered to be on the larger list of potential Trump running mates. The now-47-year-old Sen. Tom Cotton seriously mulled a 2024 White House run of his own before deciding against it in late 2022, putting his young family ahead of political ambitions. However, he did not rule out a future presidential bid. Cotton is currently bidding for the GOP conference chair, the number three leadership position in the incoming Senate Republican majority. Sen. Josh Hawley The 44-year-old Sen. Josh Hawley, along with Cotton, is another rising conservative star in the Senate. Hawley is also a strong defender of Trump’s America First agenda and is thought to have national aspirations. Former Ambassador Nikki Haley The former two-term South Carolina governor, who served as U.N. ambassador in Trump’s first term, was the first GOP challenger to jump into the race against the former president in the 2024 nomination race. Former