Kathrine Frich
The host proposed that California Governor Gavin Newsom might take the slot instead.
Analyzing the opposition is a standard tactic for anyone eyeing a future executive run.
Predicting exactly who will lead the rival ticket allows a political faction to shape the narrative long before the first ballots are cast.
A recent interview pulled those strategic calculations into the open.
The ultimate frontrunner
Vice President JD Vance believes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the ultimate 2028 Democratic presidential frontrunner.
The prominent Trump ally laid out his theory during a Tuesday appearance on “The Michael Knowles Show,” according to the Irish Star.
“I think it’s got to be AOC. I know that’s probably conventional wisdom,” Vance stated during the broadcast.
The host proposed that California Governor Gavin Newsom might take the slot instead, but the Vice President completely rejected that idea. He claimed Newsom severely damaged his own prospects during a controversial speech to a Black audience in Atlanta.
Mapping the power struggle
Vance argued that the final choice for the opposition ticket will come down to which specific faction controls the party organization.
“I guess the question would be, ‘Who do you think really has the power in the Democratic Party?’ And if you think the answer is like Wall Street and the left of center business community, then it would be Ossoff, and if you think it’s the universities, it would be AOC,” Vance explained.
The Vice President made it clear that he views the progressive university faction as the dominant force heading into the next cycle. He concluded his thoughts by claiming the opposition is currently dominated by its most extreme members.
Sources: Irish Star, “The Michael Knowles Show”
