Eric Schmitt Emerges As JD Vance VP Frontrunner For 2028

JD Vance is looking for a running mate for 2028. Marco Rubio was pushed aside as the trusted Senate pal who played college football in Missouri emerges as the new frontrunner. One of JD Vance's former colleagues in the Senate is stepping up to lead the charge on this potential presidential campaign. Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt has built a close bond with Vance and now stands as a top candidate for the ticket, Axios reported Tuesday.

Vance views Schmitt as trustworthy, intelligent, and articulate, according to the outlet. Schmitt, 51, served as Missouri attorney general before winning his Senate seat in 2022. Vance has not formally announced a 2028 bid yet. Donald Trump has repeatedly floated Vance and Marco Rubio running together in 2028. He has not said which of the two should top the ticket.

Rubio has also been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick but has played down the speculation. 'I'm not a candidate for anything right now,' Rubio told Colombian broadcaster RCN earlier this month. He added that he is focused on his two roles, as secretary of state and national security adviser. Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz backed the idea on X: 'I would support any ambition of Senator Schmitt.'

Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project - a conservative legal group - called Schmitt a rockstar in his own post on X. A longtime former senate GOP aide told the Daily Mail that the allure of the VP nominee is often times not what they bring to the table but what they don't do for the ticket. This person added, you don't want headaches, indicating that Schmitt could be a drama-free pick.

Schmitt worked with Vance when they were both members of the upper chamber on Capitol Hill. Since Vance took a job in the administration, the duo have worked together in the VP's role as the White House Fraud Czar. The two are leading a coordinated legislative and executive push to crack down on fraud in a number of federal programs, including COVID-19 relief and healthcare fraud.

After a meeting of the White House anti-fraud Taskforce earlier this year, Schmitt shared in a media release that Vice President Vance has done an incredible job cracking down on fraud and exposing rampant waste, fraud, and abuse of our federal programs.

Eric Schmitt is stepping forward as a potential running mate, bringing a heavy resume of leadership roles to the discussion. He previously served as Missouri's attorney general and held positions within the Republican Attorney Generals Association. His track record also includes vice chairmanship of the Joint Economic Committee alongside private practice in law. Now, he wants to apply that experience at the federal level.

Schmitt spoke directly about his vision for the role while referencing his collaboration with the administration. In the Senate, I am proud to lead the Anti-Fraud Task Force to work alongside this Administration to strengthen federal oversight and hold criminals accountable so we can ensure federal programs actually help Americans in need. That mission of protecting citizens from fraud sits at the heart of his proposed agenda.

His background extends beyond politics into sports. Long before seeking elected office, Schmitt played varsity football and baseball at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. The school is an NCAA Division II institution. Before entering government service fully, he also held local and state offices while working as a lawyer.

The speculation continues on social media platforms like X. Matt Gaetz, a former Republican Congressman from Florida who now hosts programming for the right-wing One America News Network, voiced strong support for Schmitt in a recent post. Dan Rene, a conservative communications strategist speaking to the Daily Mail, noted that it is way too early to be picking a VP but never too early to have fun speculating.

Rene sees value in Schmitt's specific skill set. He added that he sees 'Schmitt as an interesting candidate because he understands technology and has authentic and authoritative insight into where AI, communications, and the economy are headed.' The strategist concluded by stating that 'Any ticket will have to effectively communicate about the future instead of re-litigating the past.'

Representatives for Vance did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, images continue to circulate showing Schmitt in action. US Senator Eric Schmitt, Republican from Missouri, looks on as former US Special Counsel Jack Smith testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on September 29, 2026.