The US is the land of the free and the home of the world’s most expensive, and most excruciatingly drawn-out, elections. In most democracies, the election cycle lasts just a few weeks or months. In most democracies there are strict laws regulating how long politicians can campaign, and how much money political parties can accept. But the US is not most democracies.

Which is why, despite the fact we’re not even a full year into Trump 2.0, there’s already chatter about 2028. Assuming Donald Trump doesn’t find some sort of legal loophole that lets him run again (not unthinkable!), JD Vance is widely seen as his heir apparent, with Trump saying a presidential ticket with Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio would be “unstoppable”. Meanwhile, Rubio, it was recently reported, is telling his inner circle he’d support Vance for president.

In his role as vice-president, Vance is already under constant scrutiny. But, as 2028 approaches, he will be put under the microscope. And if he wants to get the top job there are a few liabilities that he should probably sort out.

His personality is one of them: Vance can come off as

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