Vice President JD Vance has long been considered a front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2028 — but the president has reportedly started pitting him against Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
President Donald Trump has privately asked advisers and donors what they think about Vance and Rubio as the 2028 presidential election approaches, the Wall Street Journal reports. At a recent event, Trump even asked a room of donors about the two men, and the applause for Rubio was louder, some attendees told the outlet.
Rubio, who ran against Trump in 2016, has said in public – and, reportedly, in private – that he would not want to challenge Vance in 2028.
“If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio said in a Vanity Fair interview published late last year.
Still, Trump is said to believe that Rubio could be electable. A person who has spoken to Trump also told the Journal the president has not criticized Vance and has not suggested he’s unelectable.
Meanwhile, Trump considers comparing Vance and Rubio to be a game, and doesn’t view it as picking a successor yet, sources familiar with the topic told the paper. He’s also reportedly expressed a desire for Vance and Rubio to run on the same ticket.
Trump’s relationship with Rubio, a former Florida senator, has undergone dramatic changes in the last decade. The pair started as fierce rivals in the 2016 Republican primary, during which Trump infamously dubbed Rubio “Little Marco.”
But once Rubio dropped out of the race and Trump secured the nomination, their relationship began to shift. Now, he’s a trusted member of Trump’s cabinet, and the president has started seeking his advice on a wide range of issues, the Journal reports.
Rubio and Vance have also publicly praised each other over the past year. Rubio said last summer the vice president would make a “great nominee” if he decides to run, and that he’s doing a “great job” in his current role.
“He’s a close friend, and I hope he intends to do it. I know it’s kind of early. But being in the role that I’m in here as the secretary of state, I really don’t play in politics,” Rubio told Fox News’ Lara Trump in July 2025.
“There’s actually rules against me being involved in domestic politics, and I want to do this job as long as the president allows me to do it and stay in that job, which would keep me here all the way through January of 2028,” he added.
Vance called Rubio his “closest friend in the administration” during an interview with Fox News host Martha MacCallum last month.
“I think he's doing a great job for the American people, but most importantly, we all have to continue doing a good job for the American people, from the president on down, and that's what we're focused on,” Vance said. “I think it's so interesting the media wants to create this conflict where there just isn't any conflict.”
Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, also called speculation about the men divisive, and said they’re performing equally well in their roles, according to the Journal.
The Independent has contacted Vance’s office and the White House for comment. The State Department did not provide comment.
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