Vance front and center in Republican midterms push – is this a dry run for a White House bid?

According to the Guardian-based report, Vance has appeared in Iowa, Florida, Texas, Alaska, Georgia, Michigan and his home state of Ohio in recent weeks.[1] The report says analysts view the travel as a way to build goodwill with Republican candidates and the MAGA movement ahead of a possible bid for the party's nomination.[1]The same report says political historian Matthew Dallek said Vance was trying to build political credit with Trump's supporters by showing he had been a "good soldier."[1]The Hill reports that Vance said that if he runs in 2028, President Trump "would endorse" him[2]. According to the Guardian-based report, when Trump was asked about this, he called Vance "a very talented person, and he's a very good person," but said they had not discussed the prospect.[1]NBC News reports that Vance has said consistently that his focus is on his job as vice president[3] and that he will make any 2028 decision after the midterms. Vance told NBC that "Ted Cruz is running for president"[3] and added, "At this moment, I'm not."[3]Gulf News, carrying AFP reporting, says Vance is at the center of a nexus of wealthy donors[4] through his role as finance chair of the Republican National Committee.A Hill opinion column argues that Vance's 2028 prospects are also inextricably linked to the Republican Party's midterm performance[5].