Republicans descended on Dallas this week with the ostensible aim of helping their candidates win midterm elections in a difficult political environment.
But for Vice President JD Vance, the moment offered a plum personal opportunity for an ambitious second-in-command. As he took the stage on Thursday night to deliver his keynote address, Mr. Vance made no effort to conceal how much he enjoyed the limelight.
“I got to say it’s pretty cool to hear a crowd that’s this fired up chant your name,” the vice president said, as supporters chanted his initials, JD. “Go ahead and do it again.”
The unusual two-day gathering of Republican candidates, activists and MAGA superfans in Dallas was styled to keep the focus squarely on President Trump. He demanded the party fund and organize the event, and speaker after speaker heaped praise on him. The president urged attendees to “pretend I’m on the ballot” and led them in a pledge of allegiance to himself.
But beneath the balloons and bedazzled MAGA apparel, Republicans were discussing the future of their party once Mr. Trump is no longer its leader. At the core of those conversations is the question of whether a party disassembled and remade in Mr. Trump’s image will transfer its support to his vice president, who has signaled interest in running to succeed him.
For his part, Mr. Vance on Thursday took some of his most concrete steps to try to position himself as the inheritor of Mr. Trump’s loyal base.
In his remarks, Mr. Vance sidestepped most of the thorniest issues dragging down his party. He only obliquely referenced the Iran war. He made no mention of tariffs that have exacerbated voters’ economic concerns, and he did not address Mr. Trump’s gambit to give voters $5,000 if Republicans keep control of Congress.
Instead, Mr. Vance placed a heavy emphasis on his own personal story, speaking more about his wife than any candidate running for office. The vice president drew on the recent birth of his fourth child and the first anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s death. And he appeared to relish playing the role of attack dog, at times lobbing provocative barbs against Democrats and gleefully dismissing a protester who interrupted his speech.
Mr. Vance’s scripted, more traditional political delivery cut a sharp contrast with the freewheeling and improvisational style of Mr. Trump. In fact, it was Mr. Vance’s unscripted response to the protester, who unfurled Mexican and Palestinian flags, that appeared to most energize the crowd.
“My friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your ass over there,” the vice president said, sending the crowd roaring. “I’ll buy you the plane ticket.”
Republicans say Mr. Vance, a onetime outspoken critic of Mr. Trump who later turned into a staunch supporter, remains the undisputed front-runner for the party’s presidential nomination — at one point, the crowd started chanting “48,” a reference to the 48th president. But they acknowledge he has work to do to consolidate support from Mr. Trump’s base, especially those who do not regularly vote or tune into politics.
“He has those relationships with the podcast hosts — Theo Von, Joe Rogan — who those guys listen to,” said Jack Posobiec, a far-right commentator and supporter of Mr. Vance. “The work that he’s going to have to do is convince them to come back in for 2028.”
To that end, Mr. Vance sought to make a direct appeal to skeptical and undecided voters — and specifically those who are unhappy with some of the administration’s policies.
“Do not throw the baby out with the bathwater,” he said. “Don’t give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you happen to disagree with us on a policy issue here or there.”
He continued: “I’m not asking anybody to agree on every single policy of the administration. What I am asking you to do is recognize the contrast with the radicals and recognize the achievements of the last 18 months.”
The war with Iran has been a particularly sensitive topic for the vice president, who endorsed Mr. Trump in 2023, arguing that he would not lead the nation into any foreign wars. Mr. Vance privately opposed the conflict from the outset. He has publicly defended it even as parts of the base have revolted.
While jockeying for 2028 is already underway, the gathering in Dallas made clear Mr. Trump had no interest in relinquishing his ironclad grasp on the party. That has left Mr. Vance in the awkward position of trying to lay the groundwork for a potential presidential run without upsetting his mercurial boss.
Mr. Trump has suggested Mr. Vance is the front-runner for the nomination, but he has not formally endorsed him and has often asked aides and supporters who they think should succeed him. Some people close to Mr. Trump say the president could withhold his formal support for a while, preferring to let an “Apprentice”-style competition play out.
Mr. Trump often brings up Marco Rubio, his secretary of state, as a potential successor, though Mr. Rubio has said he would not run for president if Mr. Vance does. Mr. Rubio skipped the Dallas gathering because he was traveling in Latin America.
Others, including Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who also spoke at the convention on Thursday, have signaled interest in potentially running for president in 2028.
The vice president also used the gathering to try to deepen his relationships with activists and donors. He bounced around state delegation breakfasts Thursday morning and appeared on “The Charlie Kirk Show” to honor Mr. Kirk on the first anniversary of his killing. (Erika Kirk, Mr. Kirk’s widow, who attended the convention’s first night, has already endorsed Mr. Vance for president.)
In the afternoon, Mr. Vance headlined a fund-raiser at the Ritz- Carlton in Dallas.
There, Mr. Vance attacked Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, for his past comments about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and joked that he had to add 95 minutes to his planned address Thursday night because he did not want to get shown up by Mr. Trump after the president’s lengthy speech Wednesday, according to two people in the room. Mr. Vance spoke for roughly 40 minutes at the convention.
Mr. Trump returned to the stage after Mr. Vance, offering him a handshake and hug. Before departing Dallas, Mr. Trump, who is known for his effusiveness, gave a review of Mr. Vance’s speech.
“He’s been a great vice president,” he told reporters before boarding Air Force One back to Washington. “I think he did a very good job.”
Theodore Schleifer contributed reporting.
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