Then-Sen. JD Vance, and Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., right, are seen in Fiserv Forum on the second day of Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
A major conservative firebrand has become the first member of Congress to formally endorse Vice President JD Vance for president.
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, believes the vice president will “carry on our America First agenda” if he decides to run for president in 2028.
“Vice President JD Vance is the clear choice in 2028 to carry on our America First agenda and I look forward to supporting him,” Banks said on Monday.
The senator’s endorsement of Vance comes after Banks dismissed reports of Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., hinting at wanting to run for president in 2028.
“It is laughable that Don Bacon, one of the most irrelevant and anti-Trump members of Congress over the last decade, would think he could run for president,” Banks told the IndyStar on Monday.
While Vance has not formally announced he will run for president, he is seen as a favorite among some congressional Republicans and has already received endorsements from conservative figures such as Erika Kirk.
