The US has traditionally used its power to emphasize a rules-based, cooperative global order, structured by alliances and institutions. Under Trump, however, that power can be wielded as an extension of his individual will.

The emerging 2028 Republican field is defined less by ideological experimentation than by a shared constraint: how closely each contender can tether themselves to Trumpism without inheriting its liabilities wholesale. Vance currently appears best positioned to manage that balance, pairing institutional backing and ideological continuity with generational change, even if questions about his electoral dexterity remain unresolved.

Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) remains one of the few Republicans willing to challenge the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, even as he faces a primary challenge backed by the President. This clash highlights the limits of GOP loyalty and illustrates why Massie’s brand of principled independence is becoming increasingly difficult to replicate in the modern Republican Party.