Post-Trump GOP succession: Rubio signals support for JD Vance in 2028 race

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has privately told confidants that Vice President JD Vance is the frontrunner for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination and that he would back him if he decided to run, according to people close to the administration, who spoke to POLITICO.

Rubio’s remarks, shared both privately and in limited public comments, underscore how senior Republicans are already weighing succession scenarios less than a year into Donald Trump’s second term.

“Marco has been very clear that JD is going to be the Republican nominee if he wants to be,” said one person close to Rubio, adding that the secretary “will do anything he can to support the vice president.”

Trump himself has repeatedly named both Vance and Rubio as his most likely successors, even suggesting that they could run together. A White House insider described the “expectation” as “JD as nominee and Rubio as VP.”

A POLITICO poll conducted in late October found that 35 per cent of Trump voters favour Vance as their 2028 presidential choice, compared with just 2 per cent for Rubio. Sixteen per cent said they were undecided, while 28 per cent named Trump himself.

Republicans’ focus on future leadership comes amid anxiety following recent election results in which the GOP underperformed, prompting concerns that without Trump on the ballot, Republican enthusiasm may wane.

James Blair, Trump’s 2024 campaign political director, urged potential contenders to focus first on the 2026 midterms, warning that voters “will sniff out anybody who seems focused on themselves.”

While other Cabinet members, such as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, have been mentioned as possible contenders, few are viewed as serious rivals to Vance and Rubio for Trump’s backing.

The two men, former Senate colleagues, have long had a close friendship. They co-authored the William S. Knudsen Defence Remobilisation Act, which promoted US defence production, and often shared lunches discussing national security. Vance has described Rubio as his “best friend in the administration,” saying they meet privately every couple of weeks to “catch up and talk about things.”

In a recent interview, Vance said Trump had mentioned the idea of a joint ticket “six months ago,” adding, “I mentioned it to the secretary in jest, but it feels so premature.”

Rubio, who ran for president in 2016 and later became one of Trump’s strongest foreign policy allies, has also publicly said that Vance “would be a great nominee.” However, the secretary could still change course as the 2028 race remains years away.

By Tamilla Hasanova