Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is raising questions about Vice President JD Vance's political judgment and potential leadership style as Republicans begin looking toward the 2028 presidential election following their midterm defeats.

During a Thursday livestream on his YouTube channel, Giuliani directly addressed Vance's presidential prospects, saying he sees considerable potential in the vice president but warned that aspects of his personality could become a liability in the White House.

"I see presidential potential with you," Giuliani said. "I also see certain dangers in your personality, which make you a dangerous possibility as president."

Giuliani's criticism centered largely on Vance's response to Tuesday's election results. The vice president argued Wednesday that the ongoing war with Iran was the primary reason Republicans lost control of the House and Senate, a conclusion Giuliani disputed.

The former mayor said a president must be willing to consider multiple explanations for political developments rather than allowing a single issue or political slogan to dictate his thinking.

"To be president, you have to have the flexibility of mind, not to have slogans dominate your thinking," Giuliani said. "That's the feeling I got from you yesterday when you said that the election was determined by the war."

He added that the conflict was only one contributing factor, arguing that economic concerns played a more significant role in the Republican losses.

Vance had taken a considerably different position in a lengthy statement posted Wednesday, placing responsibility for the GOP's defeat on voter dissatisfaction with the Iran conflict.

"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance wrote. He challenged supporters of the military campaign to acknowledge the political consequences of losing the Senate for the next six years and defend whether the cost was justified.

Polling conducted before the election provides context for the disagreement. A Gallup survey of registered voters conducted October 1-19 found that 50% considered the economy an extremely important factor in their congressional vote, compared with 47% who said the same about the situation in Iran. Another 37% rated the economy very important, while 30% gave that rating to the Iran conflict.

The disagreement comes as Vance faces increased scrutiny from conservatives over the administration's handling of the war and the Republican Party's performance at the ballot box. His comments have also drawn attention because he is widely viewed as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2028.

President Donald Trump has previously spoken favorably about Vance's political future. Last month, Vance suggested Trump would endorse him if he pursued the Republican nomination. However, when asked about a possible endorsement, Trump stopped short of making a commitment.

"I don't think we've ever talked about it," Trump said, while describing Vance as "a very talented person and he's a very good person."

Giuliani, meanwhile, stopped short of ruling out support for the vice president, but made clear that Vance's approach to leadership and his assessment of the midterm results would factor into his judgment of the potential 2028 contenders.