Is Donald Trump Jr. running for president in 2028?

Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of President Donald Trump and a prominent Republican fundraiser and businessman, is a name that surfaces regularly in 2028 Republican presidential speculation. He appears in early 2028 GOP primary polls and is tracked as a possible Republican candidate, though he has publicly downplayed his own interest in running.

He polls in high single digits to over 20 percent in early 2028 Republican primary surveys, with results that vary significantly by pollster. In the Harvard-Harris poll of May 29-31, 2026, he reached 21 percent among Republican voters, tying Marco Rubio for second behind JD Vance. In the I&I/TIPP poll of May 26-28, 2026, he polled at 19 percent. Other mid-2026 polls place him in the 6 to 10 percent range. He trails JD Vance in all of them.

Trump Jr. is constitutionally eligible. Born on December 31, 1977, in New York City, he is a natural-born U.S. citizen who will be 51 years old at the January 20, 2029 inauguration, well above the constitutional minimum of 35. He has been a U.S. resident his entire life. No legal bar prevents a 2028 candidacy.

The 2028 Republican field is led by Vice President JD Vance, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the most frequently cited alternative. Trump Jr. is a wildcard - his name recognition is exceptional and his standing in some polls is meaningful, but without a public signal of serious interest from him personally, he remains in the possible tier. President Trump named Vance and Rubio as potential successors in May 2026.