Conservative strategist Rick Wilson says a “MAGA Hunger Games” is unfolding in Washington as President Donald Trump, 79, shows more signs of aging.
Wilson claimed that “rumors from the Trumpverse” suggest Vice President JD Vance is quickly positioning himself to take control of the MAGA movement. Wilson wrote on his Substack that Vance appears ready to step up sooner rather than later.
“Slow or fast, he’s headed down,” Wilson said about Trump. “The circle who knows what’s really happening is very small and very paranoid. JD Vance knows, and he’s moving fast.”
Wilson pointed to Vance’s recent interview with USA Today—where Vance said he was prepared to take over the presidency after months of “on-the-job training”—as evidence of maneuvering behind the scenes.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Vance’s office, when contacted by the Daily Beast, did not address Wilson’s allegations.
Earlier this year, Trump said it was “far too early to say” who might succeed him. Still, he praised Vance for “doing a fantastic job” and said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “great.” Under the 25th Amendment, Vance would automatically become president if Trump could no longer serve.
Wilson, 61, has long been a critic of Trump from the right. He co-founded The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political group, and has written books highly critical of both the president and the MAGA movement.
Despite speculation about Trump’s health, both Vance and White House officials have dismissed concerns. In the same USA Today interview, Vance said Trump “is in incredibly good health” and “has incredible energy.”
“While most of the people who work around the President of the United States are younger than he is, I think we find that he is actually the last person to go to sleep,” Vance said. “He’s the last person making phone calls at night and the first one up in the morning. Yes, bad things can happen, but I feel very confident the president is in good shape, will serve out the term, and do great things for the American people.”
The White House also brought out Trump’s former doctor, Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, to defend the president. Jackson, who no longer holds a medical license, declared that Trump is “the healthiest president this nation has ever seen.”
Still, many Americans have doubts. Trump has been photographed this summer with swollen ankles and heavy bruising on his hands. He has also shown trouble walking straight on several occasions.
In July, the White House revealed Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that causes blood to pool in the legs and can explain his ankle swelling. Officials also said his hand bruises came from frequent handshakes and aspirin use, though that does not explain why the bruises appear on both hands.
Trump has also experienced several mental slips in recent months. On Aug. 12, he said he was traveling to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin, though the meeting actually took place in Alaska. He also mistakenly called St. Petersburg “Leningrad,” a name abandoned in 1991. More recently, he failed to recognize Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who was right in front of him, and misnamed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
