But talking with outside Vance allies and others familiar with his thinking, Axios stitched together the VP's five-pronged plan for making 2026 pay off later: 1. Be a loyal VP. Vance's biggest priority is to show he's loyal to Trump above all else. Trump is the dominant figure in the Republican Party, and that won't change before 2028 kicks off. So for Vance to be the GOP nominee, he'll need Trump's strong backing.
The HFC is struggling to reconcile loyalty to President Trump with its own budget-cutting priorities - and the former often takes precedence. That's raising doubts about whether the group can remain an independent force on the party's right flank, rather than increasingly, after some grumbling, caving to Trump. Driving the news: At least six of the HFC's most high-profile members are eyeing departures, sparking questions about who, if anyone, will fill the void.