J.D. Vance Says He's Ready to Become President If 'God Forbid' Donald Trump's Health Worsens

Vice President J.D. Vance, 41, confirmed he is prepared to take over as President of the United States if Donald Trump’s health declines past the breaking point.

Vance was interviewed by USA Today White House correspondent Francesca Chambers on Wednesday, August 27, when he was asked, “As vice president, you’re a heartbeat away from the presidency, and your boss is one of the oldest people to ever be sworn into office. Are you ready to assume the role of commander-in-chief? And why should Americans trust you to lead the country?”

Vance responded, “Well, I’ve gotten a lot of good on-the-job training in the last 200 days, but I’d also say that the president is in incredibly good health. He’s got incredible energy, and while most of the people that work around the president of the United States are younger than he is, I think that we find that he actually is the last person who goes to sleep, he’s the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and the first person making phone calls in the morning.”

As he continued, the VP emphasized how seeing the way Trump has taken control since January was enough for him to assume the coveted position.

“So yes, things can always happen. Yes, terrible tragedies happen,” he continued. “But I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is gonna serve out the remainder of his term, and do great things for the American people, and if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.”

Meanwhile, when questioned if he thought Vance was the right choice for America’s president in 2028, Trump danced around the subject, ultimately refusing to give him his full support.

“I think most likely — in all fairness, he’s the vice president,” Trump told reporters in August. “I think Marco [Rubio] is also somebody that maybe would get together with J.D. in some form.”

Trump continued, “I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here. So it’s too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he’s doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point.”

Trump, at 79 years old, revealed his chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis in July. Concerns about his health have increased after he was seen with excess swelling in his ankles. The president has also suffered from a bruised right hand. Although some have speculated Trump is in the early stages of dementia, this has not been confirmed.