JD Vance 'sold his soul' – and voters are abandoning him for Trump favorite: analyst

Vice President JD Vance's support for a presidential campaign is slipping rapidly, according to a political analyst.

Vance has attempted to consolidate his possible presidential push with a series of appearances at Turning Point USA rallies. But the Vice President is seemingly losing support, and potential voters are abandoning Vance in favor of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Vance faces a significant erosion of support within MAGA circles as Secretary of State Marco Rubio gains prominence as a potential 2028 presidential successor. Trump voters surveyed in focus groups express a preference for Rubio over Vance, viewing him as the "adult in the room" compared to other cabinet members.

Rubio's multiple government roles—secretary of state, national security adviser, acting USAID administrator, and acting archivist—have created an image of competence and influence. By contrast, Vance's standing has deteriorated sharply. MS NOW analyst Zeeshan Aleem believes voter sentiment is shifting from Vance to Rubio.

Aleem wrote, "It might be that he is more closely identified with Trump and hardcore MAGA ideology, and so Trump’s plunging ratings weigh more on Vance than other administration officials.

"Or, somewhat paradoxically, it might be — as many of Longwell’s quoted focus group participants suggest — that Vance comes across as less sincere rhetorically and seems to have “sold his soul” for proximity to power.

"Sometimes these things boil down to vibe. Even though both Rubio and Vance, like most of their GOP colleagues, have shifted many of their political views during the Trump era, Vance can come across as more try-hard than Rubio, perhaps because of the theatrical zeal with which he speaks, or because the very premise of his relatively short career in national politics was rejecting Trumpism."

Vance previously found himself ditched by MAGA voters, with The Atlantic analyst Sarah Longwell noting the changing tide for Rubio, who appeared to be benefiting from his vast number of titles.

Longwell wrote, "Rubio currently serves as secretary of state and national security adviser, and until recently he served as acting USAID administrator and acting archivist of the United States. Voters see the memes tweaking Rubio for having such a laughable number of important titles and think he must be doing something right."