‘That calling is there’: Donald Trump Jr. teases future White House run

By David Wright, CNN

(CNN) — Donald Trump Jr. teased a future run for the presidency during an appearance at the Qatar Economic Forum on Wednesday, saying “that calling is there” when asked if he would “consider picking up the reins” and “run for office” when his father, President Donald Trump, leaves the White House.

“Here we go – well, oh – oh boy. Well, it’s an honor to be asked,” Trump Jr. replied. “You never know. You know, right now, this has been my focus,” he answered, referring to his business ventures.

“The answer is, I don’t know – maybe one day. That calling is there,” Trump Jr. continued. I’ll always be very active in terms of being a vocal proponent of these things – I think my father has truly changed, you know, the Republican Party, I think it’s the America First Party now, the MAGA party, however you want to look at it.”

Trump Jr. appeared onstage at the Qatar Economic Forum with business partner Omeed Malik, and the two joked about the smattering of applause that greeted the question about the president’s eldest son and his political future. “Well it’s an honor to be asked and an honor to see that some people are OK with it,” Trump Jr. remarked, adding, “That’s probably just a couple people we know.”

The comments come amid questions about the future of the Republican Party after Trump leaves office, even as the president has floated the possibility of serving a third term, which he is prohibited from doing under the US Constitution.

“This is not something I’m looking to do,” Trump told NBC News earlier this month. “I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican, a great Republican to carry it forward.” The president named Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as two potential leaders for the party, while insisting he did not want to “get involved” in anointing a successor.

Trump Jr. was a key proponent of his father’s selection of Vance to be his running mate, a role that offers the vice president a prime position entering a potentially crowded field of Republican hopefuls in 2028. In March, the RNC announced that Vance would serve as the committee’s finance chair, the first sitting vice president to hold the role.

At an Axios event last year prior to the election, Trump Jr. spoke to Vance’s strengths as a candidate.

“He’s the one guy in that movement that’s a politician that’s out there that actually really speaks to the America-first people and isn’t sort of, ‘We’ll be right back to the establishment,” Trump Jr. said, adding “I think there would be a very high chance” that Vance is the Republican presidential nominee in 2028.

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