Republicans sounding the alarm as 2028 already looks like 'suicide mission'

President Donald Trump attends an event to honor Angel Families who have lost family members to crimes committed by people in the country illegally, at the White House in Washington, D.C., February 23, 2026.

In the wake of the historic beating the party took in the recent midterm elections, Republicans are increasingly sounding the alarm about the 2028 presidential election, warning that the party's chances already seem like a lost cause.

As The Hill reported on Saturday, members of the GOP are growing increasingly pessimistic about the party's odds for success at any level in 2028, worrying that President Donald Trump's toxic political environment is set to continue for the next few years. Because of these fears, some of the party's "rising stars" should sit out the next presidential election and wait for 2032.

"There are also real worries over President Trump, whose popularity has hit new lows but whose policies and political discussions will loom over Congress and the White House for the next two years," the outlet explained. "That’s factoring into the decisions of some potential GOP presidential candidates."

“How can a candidate run in 2028 when they have to criticize the policies of a sitting president with a large amount of sway with the Republican base?” one anonymous GOP operative, "who is close to a lawmaker weighing a future presidential bid," told The Hill. “It’s a suicide mission.”

The operative added further: “Unless there is a major shift in the direction of the country, where we end the war in Iran, reduce the cost of gas and groceries, and voters feel the White House is focused on their needs, I’m not sure any credible Republican candidate will run in 2028,” the operative said. “There is a strong feeling that the best chance a Republican has to win is in 2032 after these problems can be addressed and Trump is no longer a factor.”

Despite his own historic unpopularity, Vice President JD Vance is still considered the frontrunner for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination. In the wake of the midterms, however, some reports have suggested that he might be reconsidering plans to run that year, with allies close to him telling The Hill that they are questioning whether 2028 is the right year for him.

“It may not be his time,” one anonymous former Trump aide told the outlet. “It’s going to be a tough time for any Republican to run for president in 2028 based on what happened last week.”

“Trump will be the downfall of any 2028 nominee because they have to be 100 percent MAGA, and pass the MAGA loyalty test and no one can do that because you don’t know what the president will be for or against at any given moment,” longtime GOP strategist Susan Del Percio told the outlet. “We talk about how Trump’s numbers can’t get any worse. But they can. This is only the beginning.”

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