AP: Rubio would not challenge Vance for 2028 Republican nomination

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio does not plan to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2028 if Vice President JD Vance decides to run, the Associated Press reports, citing sources familiar with Rubio's thinking.

According to the report, Rubio has repeatedly told advisers and aides that he would step aside in favour of Vance should the vice president enter the race.

The AP noted that Rubio has significantly strengthened his influence within the administration in recent months by serving simultaneously as secretary of state and national security adviser, while placing close allies in key positions on the White House National Security Council.

President Donald Trump recently declined to identify a preferred successor to carry forward his "America First" agenda in a 2028 interview with Fortune magazine.

US media have frequently identified Rubio and Vance as the leading Republican contenders for the presidency.

The outlet said they are increasingly viewed as representing different approaches to advancing President Donald Trump's foreign policy agenda.

Although the White House and State Department have dismissed suggestions of any disagreement, political observers say the two senior officials have developed distinct policy profiles within a Republican Party divided over America's role abroad.

Their contrasting perspectives are shaped in part by their backgrounds. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a longtime senator with a strong focus on Latin American affairs, brings years of foreign policy experience. Vance, a Marine Corps veteran from the Midwest who served just two years in the Senate before becoming Trump's 2024 running mate, has built his political identity around opposition to prolonged US military interventions.

While both officials have maintained a respectful public relationship, their positions appear to differ most noticeably on Middle East policy.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov