Listen to the article
Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio Emerge as Early GOP Contenders for 2028
Vice President JD Vance has long been positioned as the heir apparent to President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s rising profile is creating an unexpected dynamic in early discussions about the 2028 presidential race.
Rubio’s growing responsibilities on the world stage, particularly his management of U.S. operations in Venezuela and orchestrating month-long strikes against Iran, have dramatically boosted his standing among conservative voters. This weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll highlighted Rubio’s ascent, where he captured 35% support—a remarkable increase from just 3% a year earlier.
While Vance maintained his front-runner status with 53% support in the CPAC poll, Rubio’s surge represents the most significant challenge to the vice president’s presumed path to the 2028 nomination. All other potential Republican candidates registered only single-digit support in the informal survey.
The CPAC results align with other polling trends, including recent numbers from the Saint Anselm College Survey Center in New Hampshire—the state that traditionally holds the first Republican primary—that also show Rubio gaining momentum. Several national polls have similarly indicated growing interest in a potential Rubio candidacy.
“His overall favorability is going up because voters see him as a capable and steady person in the president’s cabinet, and Trump supporters are reacting,” explained Neil Levesque, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, who oversees the Saint Anselm poll.
President Trump himself has contributed to Rubio’s elevated status by publicly praising his secretary of state, recently declaring that Rubio would be remembered as “the greatest secretary of state in history.” Trump has even floated the idea of a Vance-Rubio ticket, calling it “unstoppable,” though he hasn’t specified who should lead it.
Despite these comments, Trump did state last year that Vance is “most likely” his heir apparent, adding, “In all fairness, he’s the vice president.”
The potential rivalry is complicated by the personal relationship between the two men. Rubio has publicly pledged his support to Vance should the vice president run in 2028, telling Vanity Fair last year, “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.”
Behind the scenes, the political machinery is already humming. Vance has assembled a team of advisers who could quickly transition to campaign roles if he launches an expected presidential bid. Meanwhile, Republican sources confirm that a group of GOP donors supporting Rubio are quietly working to boost the secretary of state’s political profile, even as he focuses on his diplomatic duties around the globe.
This early positioning has created tension within Republican circles. “Vice President Vance is the future of the Republican Party and Marco Rubio is one of his closest friends in the administration,” said one operative in Trump’s political orbit, who requested anonymity to speak freely. “The divisive stories from some donors trying to cause chaos are not helpful.”
Vance himself has attempted to downplay any suggestion of rivalry, telling Fox News’ Martha MacCallum last month that “Marco is my closest friend in the administration,” adding, “I think it’s so interesting the media wants to create this conflict where there just isn’t any conflict.”
While the 2028 presidential race remains years away, with the 2026 midterm elections as the next major political milestone, the early jockeying for position highlights the forward-looking nature of presidential politics. It also demonstrates how quickly the political landscape can shift, with Rubio—who once competed against Trump in the 2016 primary—now emerging as a potential standard-bearer for the movement Trump created.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
11 Comments
Rubio’s surge in the CPAC poll is certainly noteworthy, but I think it’s still too early to count Vance out. The vice president has a strong base of support, and his MAGA credentials could give him an edge. Of course, a lot can change between now and 2028.
Agreed. The GOP primary is still wide open, and a lot can happen in the next six years. It will be interesting to see if Rubio can sustain this momentum or if Vance is able to solidify his position as the frontrunner.
Rubio’s rising profile is certainly an interesting development in the 2028 GOP primary race. As someone with an interest in the mining and energy sectors, I’ll be paying close attention to how the candidates position themselves on those key issues. It’s still early, but this primary is shaping up to be quite a battle.
While Vance may have the MAGA base locked down, Rubio’s foreign policy experience and global profile could be a real asset in a rapidly changing world. I’m curious to see how their respective visions for the US’s role on the world stage play out over the course of the primary.
The early momentum for Rubio is definitely an intriguing development. As someone who follows the mining and energy sectors closely, I’ll be watching to see how the candidates address those issues. Vance’s ties to the MAGA movement are strong, but Rubio’s global experience could give him an edge in certain areas.
It’s still very early, but the 2028 GOP primary is shaping up to be a lively and unpredictable race. Rubio’s surge is noteworthy, and his foreign policy chops could resonate with voters. But Vance’s MAGA base shouldn’t be underestimated. Curious to see how the mining, energy, and commodities issues play out as the campaign unfolds.
The shifting dynamics in the 2028 GOP primary are definitely worth watching. Rubio’s surge is noteworthy, but Vance still has a strong MAGA base. I’ll be curious to see how the candidates address mining, energy, and commodities issues as the campaign progresses. Lots of intriguing storylines to follow in this race.
The 2028 GOP primary race is shaping up to be a fascinating one. Rubio’s surge is certainly noteworthy, but Vance still has a strong base of support. I wonder how the candidates’ positions on issues like mining, energy, and natural resources will factor into the race.
That’s a great point. Given the importance of those sectors to the Republican base, the candidates’ stances on mining, energy, and commodities could be a key differentiator. It will be interesting to see how they position themselves on those issues as the campaign progresses.
Interesting to see the shifting dynamics in the 2028 GOP primary race. Rubio’s foreign policy experience and rising profile could make him a formidable candidate, but Vance still seems to have the MAGA base locked down. Will be fascinating to watch how this race evolves over the next few years.
As someone with an interest in mining and energy policy, I’ll be curious to see how the candidates position themselves on those issues. Rubio’s foreign policy experience could be an asset, but Vance may have an advantage with his ties to the MAGA base. This race is shaping up to be quite unpredictable.