‘Leader in the clubhouse’: Byron Donalds sees JD Vance as 2028 favorite

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The man who could be the next GOP nominee for Governor doesn’t seem enthused about Ron DeSantis’ chances in a potential second bid for the White House.

During an interview with the Full Send Podcast, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds deemed Vice President JD Vance to be the “leader in the clubhouse” for the 2028 contest.

“I would say we’re kind of in the first round right now at the Masters. He’s got the lead,” Donalds said. “Incredibly good. Incredibly smart.”

Donalds also believes Vance’s hardscrabble youth can appeal to “guys in the inner city.”

“I think a lot of guys in the inner city, if they take a chance to look at JD, they realize JD, although he grew up as a hillbilly, didn’t really grow up much different than a lot of us,” Donalds said.

“Drugs in your community, drugs in your house. JD’s family life was much tougher than my family life,” Donalds added. “He was able to persevere and overcome that and still love his family and still try to do good things. I mean, that’s a success story.”

Donalds concluded that “it’s going to be tough for anybody that wants to take him on.”

Indeed, polls suggest DeSantis would start any race against Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” at a marked disadvantage.

A survey from Atlas Intel, which was conducted between April 10 and April 14, shows Vance leading DeSantis 60% to 9%. That’s one of many polls where Vance has majority support and DeSantis lingers in single digits.

The disaffection for DeSantis extends to right-wing activists.

At a straw poll conducted at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, DeSantis mustered 7% support, finishing far behind Vance’s 61%.