PoliticsDonald Trump 'Is Not Going to Allow the Next President to Be a Republican' Because of His Huge Ego, Says Biographer Michael Wolff
Michael Wolff said potential Trump successors should just 'go home.'
Oct. 23 2026, Published 6:23 p.m. ET
Donald Trump biographer Michael Wolff made a stunning prediction for the 2028 presidential election.
In a recent conversation with Joanna Coles, recapped in Wolff's Substack, the author said that when Trump leaves office, he "is not going to allow the next president to be a Republican."
Wolff Says Trumpism Dies When Trump Leaves
Wolff is not confident Trumpism will last beyond 2028.
Wolff, 73, discussed Trump during a live taping of his and Coles' podcast, "Inside Trump's Head."
During the discussion, Coles brought up whether Trump was preparing to hand the reins of the MAGA movement to Vice President J.D. Vance, who has yet to declare his candidacy. President Trump has not committed to endorsing Vance if he runs.
“Do you think J.D. Vance inherits the MAGA base?" Coles asked. "Does he inherit Trumpism or does Trumpism fizzle once Trump isn’t there any longer?”
"Without question, it is the latter," Wolff replied.
Wolff Imagines Mar-a-Lago as a 'Counter White House'
Wolff imagines that Trump will try to lead Republicans from Mar-a-Lago.
Woff argued that Trump had totally subsumed the Republican Party, to the point where it was useless for a Republican to try and succeed him.
"Trump is absolutely unique. We have never seen anyone like him. We will never see anyone like him again. When Trump departs this veil of tears, he will leave very little (behind)," Wolff stated.
Wolff then imagined that Mar-a-Lago would essentially become essentially the base the GOP, where Trump will lead an opposition party.
"I mean, I think that this is an aberration, but where is he going? He’ll return to Mar-a-Lago in 2029, and he will effectively set up a counter White House. He will be a constant presence, grasping, and probably succeeding in having his attention rival whoever becomes the president," he continued.
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Wolff Says Trump Won't Allow a Republican to Supersede Him
J.D. Vance is thought to be the heir apparent to Trump.
Wolff declared that following Trump would be an impossible task for a Republican candidate — made all the more impossible because Trump would not cede power to a successor.
"If I were any of the Republican candidates, I would just go home. Trump is not going to allow the next president to be a Republican, thereby superseding him," he explained. "So it will be a Democrat who he’ll have that conflict with. Conflict is his food. It’s just what he eats.”
Rubio, Cruz, Vance and Hegseth Are Rumored to Be Running
Hegseth and Rubio are also thought to be 2028 contenders.
No candidate on either side has declared their 2028 presidential candidacy, though many figures are speculated to be considering running.
For Republicans, Vance is thought to be the most obvious candidate to succeed Trump, though he recently said he had not yet made up his mind about running.
Other Republicans from the administration include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though their potential candidacies have been met with some doubt.
From outside the administration, Senator Ted Cruz has made no secret that he'd like to run again after being humiliated by Trump during the 2016 campaign.
