So much can happen between now and the 2028 Republican presidential primary, but that hasn’t stopped a smear campaign from forming around the GOP’s top contender.

New polling from the Manhattan Institute shows Vice President JD Vance as the Republican frontrunner for the party’s 2028 primary vote. Of all Republican voters, 37 percent chose Vance as their top choice, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio receiving 20 percent of the vote. Other notable Republicans like Donald Trump Jr., Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. trail far behind Vance and Rubio with low single-digit support.

Interestingly, the Manhattan Institute noted that “Vance’s advantage is driven largely by his strength among the ‘MAGA’ coalition, where he leads self-identified MAGA movement voters with 49% to Rubio’s 16%.”

Another poll is out with Vance in commanding lead of the 2028 Republican Primary Vance polls strongest with GOP voters, and takes a decisive victory in head-to-head matchup pic.twitter.com/bM2FkMo7bE— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) July 28, 2026

Another poll is out with Vance in commanding lead of the 2028 Republican Primary Vance polls strongest with GOP voters, and takes a decisive victory in head-to-head matchup pic.twitter.com/bM2FkMo7bE

Still, despite the base’s clear support of Vance, there seems to be a coordinated effort among pro-Iran War advocates on the right to paint the picture that the vice president is bleeding support from MAGA and the broader coalition of Republican voters. Their complaints about Vance largely stem from his attempts to negotiate our way out of the war. These same people claim to wholeheartedly support Trump out of........

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