In a sit-down with Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell, Donald Trump warned that choosing the wrong successor could be a “disaster,” and JD Vance quietly slipped into the back of the room within earshot. Read on to discover the full story!
According to the interview, Shontell named several possible successors — including JD Vance, Marco Rubio and Don Jr. — and noted Vance’s presence at the event. Trump told reporters, “Whoever gets this [job] is going to be very important. And if you get the wrong person: disaster.” He has not formally thrown full support behind one candidate for 2028.
The piece recalls recent violent incidents that have targeted the president: an alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, ran past security at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and faces charges including attempting to assassinate the president; in September 2024 Ryan Wesley Routh was stopped placing a sniper position at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course and was later sentenced to life; and at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks fired and grazed the president’s ear before being killed by a counter-sniper.