Trump may withhold 2028 endorsement, says 'better off not involved'

US President Donald Trump indicated in a televised interview that he may withhold an endorsement from the 2028 Republican presidential field, stating that he is "probably" not going to back a successor despite the significant influence his support would wield within the party. Speaking to CBS' 60 Minutes, Trump was asked whether he would endorse a potential successor besides Vice President JD Vance.

Rubio praised as potential contender

"Probably. Not necessarily," Trump responded, later adding, "Maybe I'm better off not getting involved." When pressed on alternatives to Vance, the president praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a strong contender while declining to name other possibilities. "Well, I think Marco's great. I mean, he certainly loves it, and he's doing great. He's doing a fantastic job," he said, noting that several senators would also make excellent candidates.

Despite expressing uncertainty about endorsing anyone, Trump maintained that his backing would prove decisive if offered. "I think it would play a big role if I did, because my endorsement capacity has been very strong," he said.

MAGA 'common sense' to outlast presidency

Following significant Republican losses in Tuesday's midterm elections, Trump expressed confidence that his Make America Great Again movement would survive beyond his time in office. "I think so, because MAGA is basically common sense," he said, defining the movement's core principles as "strong borders, good military" and unprecedented wealth creation. "We have created wealth at a level that our country has never seen before," he added.

'Bad messaging' blamed for midterm losses

Trump attributed the party's poor electoral performance partly to communication failures rather than policy substance, particularly regarding the administration's handling of the war with Iran. "It was bad messaging, maybe by me," he said, arguing that his team "couldn't get the word across" despite holding dozens of campaign rallies. He insisted that support for his Iran war management remains "phenomenal," contradicting polling data suggesting otherwise.

The president also directed criticism at news outlets, accusing them of failing to "cover positive news for Republicans." Tuesday's midterms saw Republicans suffer significant losses as the US-Iran war entered its second month with no diplomatic breakthrough.