Donald Trump Jr.’s hopes of one day following his father into the White House may face an uphill battle, according to a new poll.
A new Reuters/Ipsos survey asked Republican and Republican-leaning voters to rate a series of possible 2028 presidential contenders.
Trump Jr., 48, fared poorly, with 43 percent saying he would make a “poor” candidate and another 20 percent rating him “only fair”. Just 12 percent considered him “excellent,” while 17 percent said he would make a “good” candidate.
Donald Trump Jr. has never publicly expressed that he wants to be his father’s successor.
Annabelle Gordon/Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
The results put him well behind several other potential Republican contenders, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The Daily Beast has contacted Trump Jr. for comment.
Vance received the strongest ratings among the three, with 34 percent calling him an “excellent” candidate and 28 percent a “good” one. Just 13 percent said he would make a poor candidate, while 17 percent rated him only fair.
Rubio also performed strongly, with 36 percent giving him an excellent rating and 22 percent a good one. Only nine percent considered him a poor candidate, while 13 percent said he would be only fair.
DeSantis received a more mixed response, with 28 percent rating him excellent and 24 percent good. Thirteen percent said he would be only fair, while 10 percent gave him a poor rating.
Other potential contenders fared less convincingly. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson received just four percent excellent and nine percent good ratings, while 43 percent said he would make a poor candidate.
Trump with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Oval Office in April. Republicans believe new faces might be needed to remain competitive in the 2028 election.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz performed somewhat better, with 10 percent rating him excellent and 25 percent good, although 22 percent said he would be a poor candidate and 23 percent only fair.
The poll also included former Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley.
Neither Vance nor Rubio has formally declared a 2028 presidential bid, but both are widely viewed as potential frontrunners for the Republican nomination. Vance has downplayed speculation about a rivalry with Rubio, describing the secretary of state as his “best friend.”
Rubio has also suggested he will not run if Vance decides to seek the nomination, telling Vanity Fair that he would stand aside for the vice president.
DeSantis is also rumored to be considering another presidential campaign after his unsuccessful 2024 primary bid.
Trump Jr., meanwhile, has occasionally hinted at a possible political future of his own, although he has repeatedly stopped short of committing to a presidential run.
Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in May 2025, he said: “The answer is: I don’t know, maybe one day. You know, that calling is there.”
DeSantis is rumored to be considering another presidential campaign.
He subsequently sought to dampen speculation, writing on X: “while I’ll never 100 percent rule it out down the line, I have ZERO interest in running for office in 28 or anytime soon.”
The poll also suggests Republicans may be looking beyond the Trump era. A majority, 52 percent, said they wanted the party’s next presidential nominee to take a different approach to governing from Trump, compared with 46 percent who preferred a similar approach.
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