Vice President JD Vance made it clear he’s not looking past his current role, pushing back on speculation that he’s the natural successor to President Trump. The remarks came during an interview on NBC’s Meet The Press after a Wall Street Journal report claimed Elon Musk halted plans to launch a new political party to avoid damaging his relationship with Vance.

When asked directly if he sees himself as the future of the MAGA movement, Vance replied, “No, I see myself as the vice president trying to do a good job for the American people. If I do a good job, and if the president continues to be successful as I know that he will be, the politics will take care of itself.”

Vance went on to say that most Americans are tired of constant speculation after just finishing a major election. “We just had an election seven months ago, and I’m probably like most Americans — I’m sick of talking about politics after a big general election.”

Pressed on whether Trump has spoken to him about passing the baton in 2028, Vance said the president is solely focused on delivering results for the American people, not future campaigns. “He wants me to be focused on doing a good job for the American people. That’s what I’ll keep on doing.”

The vice president pointed to progress under the administration — on security, prosperity, and peace negotiations abroad — as the real measure of success. “If America is safe, if it’s more prosperous, if young people can afford to buy a home, if we actually bring peace to all these regions of the world which we’ve made great progress in doing, the politics will take care of itself.”

Trump himself has hinted that Vance would be “probably favored” for the 2028 Republican nomination, but Vance has consistently downplayed the chatter. Back in April, he said he wasn’t even focused on the 2026 midterms, much less the next presidential election.

Meanwhile, Musk’s political ambitions remain uncertain. While he’s put his America Party plans on hold, allies say he hasn’t ruled out revisiting the idea as the 2026 midterms approach. For now, however, Vance is making it clear he has no interest in fueling speculation about what comes after Trump’s second term.