The Ticket That Changes Everything: Who Youngkin Picks If He Wins...and Who Vance Picks If Trump Forces a Return to Dominance
Two futures. Two factions. Two vice presidents who decide what American power looks like after Trump.
The Ticket That Changes Everything: Who Youngkin Picks If He Wins…and Who Vance Picks If Trump Forces a Return to Dominance
Two futures. Two factions. Two vice presidents who decide what American power looks like after Trump.
The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #656: Thursday, November 20th, 2025.
Author’s note:
First things first:
This is the longest JHN newsletter I’ve ever written. Hell…it’s a small “book.” Pair it with yesterday’s “Successor” issue and you’re holding the equivalent of a political Ph.D….not the academic kind… but the kind that explains who actually runs things while everyone else watches the stage show.
Again…it’s long…but…it’s okay. You have no obligation to read it all in one go. Read it in chunks…spaced out. The point is, I wanted you to have the whole enchilada…in one place…that you can return to anytime…and revisit.
Unless something explodes on the national stage…I won’t publish again until Sunday. If I publish before then, it will either be because a huge story just broke…or…it will be something short, and on the lighter side.
You’ve had a flood of high-level intel the last two days. This isn’t “scroll and forget” material…it’s the kind that keeps unfolding…as your mind works on it behind the scenes. That only happens when you step away…and give it oxygen.
Then the “Oh. Now it all clicks.” moments start landing.
That’s why I’m giving you the space. Use it. It’ll pay off.
Now, yesterday’s paid-subscriber briefing….pulled back the curtain…on something most people still refuse to see:
The donor class may already be preparing to move the GOP away from Trump…and Glenn Youngkin is their transitional vehicle.
Not the future.
Not the savior.
The bridge.
Why?
Because the billionaires funding this thing love power…but they love predictability even more. And Trump…is no longer predictable. He’s a grenade rolling around the banquet hall.
Paid subscribers already saw:
Who’s pushing Youngkin
Why they’re abandoning Trump
How this pivot could happen quietly
This issue is the sequel.
Because if Youngkin becomes the nominee…the question that matters isn’t whether he can win.
It’s:
Who’s the Vice President…and what future does that choice lock into place?
And if Trump claws his way back into relevance…long enough to anoint a successor…likely J.D. Vance…then the question flips:
Who does Vance choose…and what kind of country would that ticket build?
Not predictions.
Not fantasies.
Blueprints.
Before anyone asks…yes, there’s a full FREE article in this issue.
Not crumbs. Not a teaser. A full…meaty breakdown you can digest and use.
The extended section after that is for paid subscribers only.
If you stay free…you still get value.
If you upgrade…you get the layer most people never see.
Either way, nobody walks away empty-handed.
Alright. Let’s get to work.
The Room Where The Pivot Happens
It won’t happen on a debate stage.
It won’t happen in a convention speech.
It won’t even happen on Fox News.
It will happen in a hotel ballroom.
Not Vegas.
Not Orlando.
Think Arlington or Palm Beach. Bland carpet. Name tags. Money that knows how to whisper.
Someone will tap a champagne glass and say what the participants have already decided:
“Trump was useful. But he’s no longer controllable.”
That’s all it takes.
Not morality.
Not a crisis of conscience.
Not a sudden love of democracy.
Just the cold recognition that chaos is now costing them market share.
Then, quietly:
“Youngkin is the pivot.”
Not the revolution.
Not the heir.
The reset button…that lets the party move from Trump’s theatrics…back to boardroom efficiency.
And here’s the part nobody sees coming:
The VP pick tells us who the party plans to hand power to…after Youngkin completes his function.
Because a transitional figure doesn’t choose a partner.
He chooses a successor.
And the successor…tells you everything.
The Other Future: If Trump Reasserts Full Control…and Vance Becomes His Successor
Now picture a different ballroom.
Not marble floors.
Concrete.
Not Bordeaux.
Energy drinks.
A rally…not a fundraiser.
Trump walks out late…legally bloodied, politically humiliated, but still capable of filling a stadium purely on trauma bonding.
He raises his hand.
The crowd melts.
And then he says the words that shift the earth under the party:
“It’s time for someone else to take the torch.”
There is only one man on that stage who fits the mold:
J.D. Vance.
Young…articulate…post-literate grievance weaponry with a professional-class vocabulary.
He’s not Trump’s replacement.
He’s Trump’s continuance.
And if Vance gets the nomination, the VP choice becomes a fork in the road:
Does he go full militant ethno-nationalism?
Does he go technocratic and global?
Does he run a populist hammerlock on institutions?
Or does he pick a culturally extreme Christian figure…to consolidate the religious wing?
The VP tells you whether the movement intends to expand…
or purify.
The VP tells you whether 2028 is the peak of MAGA…
or merely the launch pad.
Why The Vice President Is The Real Story
Most people hear “VP” and think backup quarterback.
Wrong.
In movements…not elections…the VP is:
The succession plan
The messaging signal to financiers and media
The insurance policy against internal betrayal
The designated heir to keep the ideology alive past the figurehead
The vice president is not “second.”
The vice president is the continuation of power…if the original vessel expires… resigns…is removed…or becomes impossible to protect politically.
And both Youngkin…and Vance…would choose running mates to please completely different masters.
That’s the entire game.
IF THE DONORS WRESTLE CONTROL BACK AND CHOOSE YOUNGKIN
When a party chooses a “bridge candidate,” they don’t pick a VP to balance the ticket.
They pick a VP to inherit the movement once the bridge is crossed.
So let’s lay out…what Youngkin lacks…and what the VP must supply.
WHAT YOUNGKIN LACKS → WHAT THE VP MUST PROVIDE
• No populist credibility
→ VP must bring MAGA-adjacent legitimacy without importing chaos
• Weak relationship with evangelicals
→ VP must be trusted by religious power brokers
• Thin national security résumé
→ VP must bring military/defense gravitas
• Seen as corporate & technocratic
→ VP must energize base turnout, not just donors
• Managerial tone, not charismatic
→ VP must be emotional, tribal, and culture-war fluent
Youngkin is a calming drug.
His VP must be an amphetamine.
Youngkin’s Most Likely VP Picks (And What Each Choice Signals)
We’re not evaluating personalities.
We’re mapping strategic intent.
1. TIM SCOTT…The Unity Branding Play
What he brings:
Evangelical credibility
Diversity optics without ideological risk
Big-tent marketing appeal
Safe for donors…safe for moderates
What this signals:
The GOP wants to soften its image, not escalate.
This is a “we’re re-entering polite society” pick.
2. MARCO RUBIO…The Neocon Restoration Pick
What he brings:
Foreign policy experience
Globalist credibility
Strong in Hispanic-heavy battlegrounds
Well-liked in corporate donor circles
What this signals:
Return to Bush-era foreign policy + global order leadership.
A message to NATO and Wall Street: We’re back.
3. MIKE GALLAGHER…The China-Era National Security Ticket
What he brings:
Intelligence/defense alignment
Credibility with Pentagon + tech sector
Young, disciplined, “new right” war posture
What this signals:
A long-term pivot toward Cold-War-style U.S.–China confrontation.
This is ideology meets industrial policy.
4. ELISE STEFANIK…The MAGA-Without-Trump Consolidation Pick
What she brings:
Loyalty to Trump base
Female face of culture war messaging
Doesn’t frighten corporate donors
What this signals:
Keep the populists inside the tent while sidelining Trump.
A containment strategy disguised as loyalty.
5. NIKKI HALEY…The Corporate Counter-Insurgency
What she brings:
UN/state-level foreign policy experience
Massive donor backing
“Sane Republican” branding
What this signals:
The establishment won and is reclaiming the party openly.
This is the victory lap pick.
The Real Purpose Of A Youngkin VP
Forget the campaign messaging.
The inner-circle reasoning looks more like this:
• Youngkin reassures the markets
• The VP reassures the movement
• After four years, the VP takes over
Youngkin…is a controlled demolition of Trumpism… not its successor.
His VP is the heir.
Summary:
• Youngkin = reboot
• VP = long-term ideological direction
• Strategy = stabilize → rebrand → hand power forward
That’s the whole play.
Now The Other Future: If Trump Regains Control & Vance Becomes His Successor
This timeline only happens if:
Trump regains narrative dominance…not legal power
The base rejects a donor-led transition
Loyalty outweighs electability
The movement values identity over strategy
In that world…Youngkin isn’t even in the conversation.
The GOP becomes a movement party…not a governing party.
And Vance becomes the heir because:
He speaks Trump’s language in a more socially competent dialect.
He is the intellectualization of grievance politics.
And his VP pick is not about balance.
It’s about what happens after the fire spreads.
WHAT VANCE LACKS → WHAT THE VP MUST PROVIDE
• Not trusted by evangelicals
→ VP must bring religious-right backing
• Lacks foreign policy stature
→ VP must bring defense…intel…or wartime credibility
• Seen as “elite tech bro populist”
→ VP must appeal to blue-collar…rural…anti-elitist voters
• Viewed as Trump’s apprentice
→ VP must help him become the movement’s leader…not Trump’s employee
• Too cerebral for mass emotional mobilization
→ VP must be visceral…dramatic…tribal
Where Youngkin needs stability,
Vance needs acceleration.
Vance VP Options (And What Each Choice Signals)
Now…the gloves come off.
1. TULSI GABBARD…The Anti-System Realignment
What she brings:
Military service
Anti-war stance
Appeal to disaffected independents + Rogan-sphere
Cross-partisan populist brand
What this signals:
This isn’t a Republican movement anymore…it’s a rebellion coalition.
This is how you poach Democrats…not conservatives.
2. JOSH HAWLEY…Christian Nationalist Governance
What he brings:
Explicit religious-right ideology
Ivy League intellectual credibility
Populist anti-elite posture
What this signals:
The movement becomes theocratic-populist, not just anti-establishment.
This is a long-term cultural re-engineering project.
3. STEPHEN MILLER…Hard Borders…Hard Lines
What he brings:
The architect of the immigration crackdown
Ideological purity
No ambiguity about priorities
What this signals:
The gloves are off. The mask is off. The project is openly demographic.
This is not a governance strategy…it’s a legacy project.
4. KARI LAKE…Populist Emotional Mobilization
What she brings:
Emotional connection to Trump’s base
Media talent
Loyalty signaling
What this signals:
Turnout through outrage…not persuasion.
This is not coalition-building.
This is energy harvesting.
5. TUCKER CARLSON…The Global Far-Right Messaging Network
What he brings:
International propaganda reach
Influence with far-right factions across Europe & Russia
Ability to shape narrative culture-wide
What this signals:
The movement stops being national. It becomes transnational.
This is how MAGA becomes a global ideology.
WHAT THE VANCE VP REALLY REPRESENTS
Let’s boil it down.
• Vance = ideological vessel
• VP = the world the movement wants to build after him
• Strategy = radicalization…not normalization
This is not policy alignment.
This is succession planning.
Which Ticket Actually Wins…And Why It Has Nothing To Do With “Likability”
This is where most people get it wrong.
They think elections are won by:
charisma
ideas
likability
speeches
debate performances
That’s TV-drama politics.
Real power doesn’t care who “inspires” you.
It cares who:
turns out their base
maintains donor stability
avoids market panic
can be controlled enough to serve larger interests
So let’s break down…with zero sugarcoating…what makes each ticket viable or dead on arrival.
IF IT’S YOUNGKIN + (SCOTT / RUBIO / GALLAGHER / STEFANIK / HALEY)
This ticket wins if Americans want relief.
Relief from chaos.
Relief from headlines.
Relief from Trump fatigue.
A Youngkin ticket wins when voters say:
“I want normalcy back…even if it’s fake.”
It’s the soft sell.
No fireworks.
No blood.
No historical turning point.
It’s aspirin.
This is a coalition of:
donors who want stability
suburbs who want calm
evangelicals who want access
independents who want “competence”
corporations who want deregulation without riots
If Americans want their lives de-escalated…Youngkin wins.
Simple.
IF IT’S VANCE + (TULSI / HAWLEY / MILLER / LAKE / CARLSON)
This ticket wins if Americans want vengeance.
Not policy.
Not improvement.
Not prosperity.
Punishment.
This coalition is built on:
anger at institutions
distrust of elites
anti-globalism
religious identitarianism
a desire to burn down and reboot
If the electorate decides:
“Nothing can be fixed until everything is destroyed first,”
Then Vance wins in a landslide.
Not because he’s strong…
but because collapse is intoxicating.
This is the election people vote in with middle fingers…not ballots.
The Real Divide Is Psychological (There it is…again)
Let’s strip it to bone.
If the national mood is pain-avoidance → Youngkin.
If the national mood is pain-infliction → Vance.
Youngkin = “Let’s stop the bleeding.”
Vance = “Let’s finish the amputation.”
Both are logical responses to the era.
They just serve different appetites.
And the VP pick…tells you which appetite….the party thinks it can feed.
The America That Emerges From Each Future
Let’s stop talking campaigns.
Let’s talk worlds.
Because the VP doesn’t shape an election.
The VP shapes a country.
If Youngkin Wins: America Becomes “Managed Decline”
A Youngkin-America looks like:
• Lower chaos…higher corporate control
• Soft-authoritarianism through bureaucracy…not force
• Neocons back in foreign policy seats
• Tech + defense partnerships expand quietly
• Culture war becomes more performative than operational
You still lose rights.
You just lose them politely.
Think:
“Authoritarianism wearing AirPods, not body armor.”
And the VP is the prototype for what comes after:
more militaristic (Gallagher)
more globalist (Rubio)
more culture-war polished (Stefanik)
Youngkin is Act II.
His VP…is Act III.
If Vance Wins: America Becomes “Mission-Driven Revolution”
A Vance-America looks like:
• Permanent war footing against institutions
• Foreign alliances rearranged around anti-global identity
• Religion injected back into policy
• Immigration as existential battleground
• Tech used not for control…but for mobilization
This isn’t managed decline.
This is rupture.
A break.
A reset.
A project to remake America culturally and demographically, not just politically.
And the VP determines the target direction:
Tulsi → Cross-ideology populism
Hawley → Christian nationalism
Miller → Ethno-national policy
Lake → Emotional mobilization & permanent rallies
Tucker → Global far-right internationalism
Vance is not the destination.
Vance is the launch vehicle.
The VP…is the payload.
The Question Nobody Asks: Who Does The Deep State Prefer?
This section will piss people off…but it’s real.
Every faction with power (DoD, CIA, State, DHS, Fed, Treasury, Silicon Valley, oil barons, Wall Street, the Chamber of Commerce, Raytheon, BlackRock, Christian megachurch networks, etc.) has a preference.
Not for morality.
Not for ideology.
For operational benefit.
Let’s be blunt:
Youngkin is good for institutions.
Vance is good for movements.
Youngkin = predictable…fundable…diplomatically coherent
Vance = volatile…transformative…uncontrollable
That doesn’t make one better.
It just makes them different tools.
Institutions like scalpel.
Movements like chainsaw.
The VP…tells which weapon is chosen.
The Real Strategic Bottom Line (No Emotion, Just Power Math)
Strip away personalities.
Strip away branding.
Strip away culture-war noise.
At its core…the 2028 choice is binary…not between candidates…but between operational models of power.
Here is the distilled version:
If The Party Chooses Youngkin
It is choosing:
international alignment over domestic escalation
market stability over grievance politics
restoration of pre-Trump governing norms
a privatized, boardroom-style authoritarianism…not a mob-style one
Youngkin represents:
A controlled transition back to institutional management.
His VP represents:
Who takes over once the transition is complete.
Youngkin’s presidency is a reset.
The VP is the destination.
If The Party Chooses Vance
It is choosing:
a movement presidency…not an administration
an ideological mandate…not a governing agenda
escalation against institutions…not cooperation with them
Vance represents:
Continuation of Trumpism as a mission, not a personality cult.
His VP represents:
What the mission becomes once Trump’s shadow is gone.
Vance’s presidency is acceleration.
The VP is the post-acceleration architecture.
The Difference In One Sentence
Youngkin uses power to stabilize the system.
Vance uses power to redefine the system.
And the VP tells you which direction the redefinition goes:
religious
nationalist
global far-right
anti-corporate populist
security-state driven
or hybrid
Why The VP Matters More Than The President In 2028
Because neither Youngkin nor Vance are ideological endpoints.
They are:
delivery systems
transitional vessels
rebranding phases
carriers of someone else’s future agenda
They are how power moves…not who ends up holding it.
In declining empires…succession matters more than coronation.
And in both paths…the VP is the succession.
FINAL SUMMARY (FOR STRATEGISTS)
If Youngkin wins:
The VP = the next governing faction
The party returns to predictable…corporate-aligned authoritarianism
Stability precedes consolidation
If Vance wins:
The VP = the ideological blueprint after Trumpism
The party becomes a movement with long-term cultural objectives
Consolidation precedes conflict
The question isn’t:
Who will be president?
The question is:
Who will inherit the country once the president has served their purpose?
That answer depends…on the second name on the ticket.
Beyond This Point, The Conversation Stops Being About Candidates & Starts Being About Power
Most political writing is designed to trigger emotion: fear, rage, vindication, nostalgia.
This isn’t that.
If you’ve read this far…you’re not here for catharsis…you’re here for comprehension.
And comprehension has a cost…because it forces us to move past the public story and into the structural one:
• Who funds each ticket
• Which institutions back each scenario
• Which VP is the actual heir
• And what systems are built beneath them
The next section breaks down:
• The most likely VP pick for Youngkin…based on faction alignment
• The most likely VP pick for Vance…based on succession math
• Which power blocs win in each future (finance, military…evangelical…intelligence… tech…populist…foreign-state aligned)
• And the first cracks each path introduces into the constitutional system
Not speculation.
Not hope.
Not fear.
Architecture.
If you want that level of clarity…join the paid tier and keep reading.
[Unlock the full briefing →]
Before We Go Further, A Shift in Altitude
Up to this point…we’ve been mapping the terrain:
Youngkin as the controlled transition candidate
Vance as the ideological continuation of Trump
The VP as the real locus of future power
The strategic incentive structures behind each choice
That’s the surface layer.
What comes next is a deeper, structural analysis of:
• The most likely single VP for each path
• The factions funding those choices
• The downstream succession map through 2036
• Which foreign governments back which future
• What breaks first under each scenario
• What each outcome means for institutions vs movements
Not predictions.
Not moral judgments.
Not wishcasting.
Trajectory modeling.
This is where we stop describing events and start interrogating systems.
And the question now isn’t what happens?
It’s:
Who is the VP actually being chosen for…the voters…the donors…the movement… or the successor government that comes after 2028?
Continue reading as a paid subscriber…
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