US vice president JD Vance has made a “power move” that marks him out as favourite to be the Republican’s next presidential candidate, according to a former party chair.
Ronna McDaniel told the Sky News Trump 100 podcast her “money would be on” Vance becoming the next nominee following his appointment as finance chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
McDaniel, who was RNC chair for seven years until 2024, described it as a “power move from a political standpoint and somebody who understands how the rules are made”.
It’s the first time a sitting vice president has served as finance chair.
According to McDaniel, it reflects a political awareness and ambition.
“Understanding that process, which is boring and very technical – and most people don’t understand how the RNC works – that was a huge move this week for JD to take over as finance chair,” she told Trump 100.
“This has never happened in the history of the party, where the vice president said ‘I’m gonna be the finance lead for the national party’. So what does that mean? It means he’s gonna interact with all the major investors heading into 2028. He’s gonna know them intimately.
“But more importantly, in the next two years, the Republican National Committee will be passing the rules that will govern the primary process for 2028. What states will be first? What primaries will be the first?
“That whole process will be passed in the two years by different state parties across the country.
“JD will have access to every single RNC member and Republican National Committee state chair who will be making those governing rules. That shows you, the power that he has right now.”
Image: Ronna McDaniel. File pic: AP
Donald Trump has, previously, played down Vance’s prospects for the top job.
In a recent Fox News interview, he was asked if he viewed Vance as the 2028 Republican nominee and he replied: “No, but he’s very capable.”
He added: “So far, I think he’s doing a very fantastic job. It’s too early; we’re just starting.”
Trump himself has, once again, declined to rule out running for a third term in office, even though it’s prohibited by the US Constitution, which stipulates a maximum of two.
In an interview with NBC News, he was asked if he wanted another term and replied: “I like working.”
When asked to clarify, he said: “I’m not joking. But I’m not… it is far too early to think about it.”
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Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.
While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.
All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.
The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.
Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.
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Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.
The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.
And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.
Image: US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters
Trump holds trade deal talks – reports
It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indianand Israelirepresentatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.
The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.
Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.
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China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.
Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.
Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.
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6:50
Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump
He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’
“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”
Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.
The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.
The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.
The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.
The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.
Image: Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP
Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.
The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.
Image: The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP
After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.
He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.
His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.
The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.
South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.