Watch: Convention Crowd Symbolically Anoints JD Vance for 2028 with Chant

If the polls are true — always a big “if” — then Republicans face a looming bloodbath in the 2026 midterm elections.

That stark reality, however, did not stop attendees at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, this week from looking ahead to the 2028 presidential election and voicing their enthusiasm for the party’s potential nominee, Vice President J.D. Vance.

On Thursday evening, as Vance spoke to the convention crowd, a chant of “48” began among the delegates. Before long, the chant had filled the American Airlines Center.

“Ladies, I’d like to know what you had to drink, ’cause I’ll take two of them when I’m done,” the vice president joked in a clip posted to the social media platform X, referring to the very enthusiastic young women cheering behind him.

Vance, of course, has often showcased his wit and charm, the latter of which disarms even his adversaries.

“We gotta take stock, my friends,” he continued. “We gotta take stock of what we’ve accomplished.”

An interruption from the crowd, however, derailed the proceedings.

“JD 48!!!” a woman yelled.

That got the attention of both Vance, who smiled, and the delegates, who cheered.

Chants of “48” began in earnest a few seconds later.

The vice president, however, preferred to focus on the present.

“Can we please — we gotta take care of business this November; then we’ll worry about what comes next,” Vance said, though he clearly enjoyed the moment.

‘JD 48!:’ RNC Attendees Chant “48” During JD Vance’s Address

“ Can we please, we got to take care of business this November, then we’ll worry about what comes next.“

Vice President JD Vance addresses the first Republican National Committee Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas pic.twitter.com/959pTvscjW

— Daily Signal (@DailySignal) September 11, 2026

In another clip posted to X, one can hear the chants and see a more panoramic view of the arena:

Crowd at the Republican Convention chants “48” 👀 pic.twitter.com/bhhv9KPQFn

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 11, 2026

According to Politico, enthusiasm for Vance ran high both publicly and behind closed doors. In fact, the outlet reported that the same “48” chant broke out at a closed-door breakfast on Thursday morning.

Of course, speculation about President Donald Trump’s possible successor began early in the president’s second term. Since then, pundits have widely regarded Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as clear favorites.

Trump, however, has already reportedly settled on Vance as his preferred 2028 GOP presidential nominee.

Whether or not Republican primary voters make the same choice remains to be seen. After all, much will happen in the next year and a half.

For instance, as Vance rightly noted, Republicans must focus on the 2026 midterms. There, the picture looks bleak.

According to RealClearPolling’s latest aggregate of polls, Democrats now lead the generic congressional vote by more than six points. Likewise, Senate races lean Democrat, including in solid-red states like Texas and Ohio.

Thus, the balance of power in Washington, D.C., could look very different in 2027 and 2028.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of a possible Vance 2028 nomination involves the vice president’s friendship with longtime Republican and now dissident Tucker Carlson, who has broken with the administration and the party over foreign policy.

“What a travesty it is that in the United States of America, we let political disagreements define who our friends are going to be and not going to be,” Vance told reporters at the White House last week in another clip posted to X. “So yeah, Tucker is a friend of mine; Tucker is a friend, despite the fact that we disagree on a number of things.”

It’s not enough for these people that Vance pledge allegiance to Israel, as he basically did this week at the Republican Jewish Conference. He’s also not allowed to have any personal interactions with people who refuse, including long-time friends like Tucker Carlson. He must… https://t.co/diLav0Ynyi

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 3, 2026

How Carlson and other disillusioned Trump voters might respond to a Vance nomination remains a key question. Time will tell if the vice president’s candidacy would help restore Trump’s 2024 coalition.

In the meantime, as a challenging midterm election awaits, Republicans appear to have already begun the process of rallying around their potential future standard-bearer.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.