Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, does not want Vice President J.D. Vance to be the next president

Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday that he’s not on board with efforts to name Vice President J.D. Vance as the heir apparent to President Trump.

Mr. Vance has not yet declared an intention to run for president in 2028. But he has received high-profile endorsements recently from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA, the conservative grassroots organization her late husband Charlie founded.

Mr. Paul said Mr. Vance does not reflect the “conservative free-market wing” that he wants to see lead the Republican Party.

“I think there needs to be representatives in the Republican Party who still believe international trade is good, who still believe in free market capitalism, who still believe in low taxes,” the Kentucky Republican said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“It used to separate conservatives and liberals that conservatives thought it was a spending problem, we didn’t want less revenue, we wanted less spending,” Mr. Paul said. “But now all these pro-tariff protectionists, they love taxes. And so they tax, tax, tax and then they brag about all the revenue coming in. That has never been a conservative position.”

Mr. Paul has been one of the few Republicans willing to speak out against the Trump administration’s tariff policies and has partnered with Democrats on legislation to repeal them.

Mr. Trump has slammed Mr. Paul as an obstructionist who frequently votes “no” against Republican bills, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act containing tax cuts, border security funding and other top GOP priorities.

Mr. Paul was not the only Republican senator asked about his former colleague Mr. Vance’s presidential prospects on Sunday.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, dodged the question of whether he would endorse Mr. Vance for president on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“I’m worried about tomorrow,” he said.

Nonetheless, he said Ms. Kirk’s endorsement is “a big get” for Mr. Vance.