Donald Trump Jr. on Friday responded quickly to a report published online claiming that he was considering a run for president in 2028 to follow in the footsteps of his term-limited father, President Donald Trump.

Citing unnamed sources, Mediaitereportedthat Don Jr. was actively considering vying for the GOP nomination after noting that last month his father pointedly did not endorse his vice president, JD Vance, as his successor, saying that it was “too early” to do so.

“No, but he’s very capable,” the president said at the time. “I mean, I don’t think that it, you know, I think you have a lot of very capable people. So far, I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early, we’re just starting.”

Trump’s willingness to distance himself from his vice president so easily surprised many observers who had expected Vance to be the heir to the MAGA movement after Trump leaves office in about four years, Mediaite reported.However, several members of Trump’s inner circle, speaking to Mediaite on condition of anonymity, said the remarks were unsurprising and reflected the president’s intent to keep his political dynasty alive beyond his own second term.

Three high-level sources told Mediaite that Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son and a prominent MAGA figure online, is seriously considering a run for the White House in 2028.“Don has been the most politically involved of all the Trump kids and has always kept the lanes open for a presidential run,” one White House insider and close friend of the Trump family said. “He is a valued voice for his father, and a real possibility to be a contender in 2028.”