Vice President JD Vance’s 2026 campaign blitz is likely to boost Republican chances of holding on to both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, but some allies say his travel spree further positions him for victory should he opt to seek the GOP presidential nomination in 2028.

Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have long been viewed as President Donald Trump’s top two successors, a notion that White House officials liken to speculative chatter despite the president’s frequent comments on the topic.