Trump's brutal one-word warning on his successor as JD Vance silently slips into the room to hear it

By ROSS IBBETSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Published: 15:51, 18 May 2026 | Updated: 15:53, 18 May 2026 Donald Trump has fired a one-word warning to his successor amid speculation about who could replace him as the Republican presidential candidate for 2028. Trump sat down with Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell for a profile on his aggressive new brand of state-backed dealmaking, including the well-timed buy of tech giant Intel, a stake that has skyrocketed 400 percent in just eight months, as well as the more elusive, and far more precarious ceasefire negotiations with Iran.  Shontell asked Trump who he felt was the best candidate to carry out his 'dealmaking legacy', probing whether it was his son Don Jr, Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Vice President JD Vance. As she questioned the President in the Oval Office, Shontell noted that Vance had 'quietly slipped into the back of the room' and would hear Trump's answer. 'Whoever gets this [job] is going to be very important,' the President replied. 'And if you get the wrong person: disaster.'  Pressed on who could could continue the Trump brand of top-down economic power plays, he dismissed the idea that it could be replicated. 'Can't answer that question,' Trump told Shontell. 'I don't know. I mean, it's not going to happen again.'  The hour-long conversation took place at the Resolute Desk, just hours before Trump departed for a high-stakes state visit to Beijing. Vice President JD Vance (R) speaks to the media as President Donald Trump looks on during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on March 16 Marco Rubio and Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio attend the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 25 He traveled with top officials including Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as his son Eric and daughter-in-law Lara. Trump even made last-minute arrangements for Nvidia boss Jensen Huang to hitch a ride on Air Force One alongside Elon Musk.  As Vice President, Vance was left back in the US in case anything should happen to the President. Trump proudly told Fortune that Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg had branded him the 'Salesman of the Year' ahead of the trip to Beijing, where the US and China struck a deal for the sale of 200 Boeing jets. 'I want to help American companies. There's nothing in it for me other than I want companies to do well,' Trump said.  The President used the interview to lash out at the Supreme Court over its recent ruling that quashed around half of his Liberation Day tariffs. 'It really pisses me off,' Trump said.  'Can you imagine, to people who hate us, to countries that ripped us off for years, I've got to give them back $149 billion.' Vice President JD Vance uses his cell phone as President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner for members of his administration and law enforcement organization leaders, during National Police Week, in the White House Rose Garden, Monday, May 11 Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell at the Salamander Hotel in Washington DC on October 14, 2025 He said he would simply be delayed as he finds another path to implementing his tariffs, and defended his lightning-fast, one-man economic show. 'I make one of those deals every day that no normal person would make,' Trump said. 'Some people actually think it's un-American, what I do. They say, "You're taking their company away."' Trump pointed to the hugely lucrative deal to acquire a 10 percent government stake in Intel. An aide handed over a printout showing that the government's Intel position has since exploded to a value of more than $50 billion in just eight months.  'Do I get credit for it? Does anybody even know I did that?' Trump asked.  The President argued that the deal corrected decades of poor trade policy, claiming that his protectionist stance would have saved the US tech giant from being bested by foreign rivals.  'Intel should be the biggest company in the world right now,' Trump said. 'If I had been president when all these companies started sending their chips in from China, I would have put a tariff on that would have protected Intel. Intel would have all that business now, and there would be no Taiwan.'  Donald Trump gestures towards Chinese President Xi Jinping while leaving after a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China, May 15 The high-stakes visit yielded a package of economic and geopolitical agreements but has largely been viewed as a tentative first step to normalize US-China relations after years of tensions marked by trade wars. Beyond the Boeing jets, China's first commitment to purchase US-made aircraft since 2017, the White House confirmed a multi-billion dollar windfall for American farmers. Under the terms of the historic deal, Beijing has committed to purchasing $17 billion worth of agricultural products per year through 2028. On the geopolitical front, Trump and Xi Jinping agreed that Iran cannot get its hands on a nuclear bomb and should reopen the Strait of Hormuz.  Turning to the negotiations with Iran, Trump expressed frustration with Tehran's tactics as the ceasefire entered its sixth week on Monday. 'They scream all the time,' he told Fortune. 'I can tell you one thing, they're dying to sign [a deal]. But they make a deal, and then they send you a paper that has no relationship to the deal you made. I say, "Are you people crazy?"' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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