President Donald Trump has been frequently asking his closest advisers to choose between JD Vance and Marco Rubio for the 2028 Republican presidential ticket. He has been praising both men, but it appears he already has a clear favorite in mind.
This is about more than just casual conversation. Sources close to the administration say Trump believes Vance and Rubio are the best people to carry his political vision forward. While he enjoys keeping people guessing and playing them off each other, sources say this does not mean he is turning against Vance in any way.
When it comes to the top spot, Trump’s preference is Vance, it is why he picked him as his running mate. According to Axios, one adviser described a “Vance-Rubio” ticket as Trump’s “dream ticket” for 2028, with Vance at the top. Vance already has political advisers in place who are ready to help build a presidential campaign.
Rubio’s high-profile roles may actually be working in Vance’s favor
Trump has been increasingly praising Rubio, both publicly and privately. Rubio has raised his profile significantly as Secretary of State and National Security Adviser, and Trump has taken notice. However, Rubio has made it clear he is comfortable with Vance taking the lead role, and has even told the Vice president privately that he would be one of his first supporters if Vance runs.
Rubio’s twin roles keep him constantly in the news, and Trump, who follows the news closely, sees this. Some advisers believe that part of the reason Trump keeps praising Rubio is to encourage him to run alongside Vance.
The two men are close friends who served together in the Senate, and even their chiefs of staff are close. This comes at a time when Trump’s approval ratings have been sliding, adding more weight to the question of who can best carry his legacy forward.
Trump has also been playful about the dynamic. At the first meeting of his Board of Peace, he told Rubio, “Marco, don’t do any better than you did, please. Because if you do, you’re outta here.” He described Rubio as someone who “does it with a velvet glove. But it’s a kill,” and called Vance the “pugilist,” saying, “He gets a little bit tough on occasion; we gotta slow him down on occasion.”
Early polling for the 2028 Republican primary shows Vance with a strong lead. One survey of first-in-the-nation primary voters showed Vance pulling in 53% of the vote, with Rubio at just 7%. National polls also back up Vance’s wide lead over other potential Republican candidates.
As the midterm elections approach, Vance is expected to become even more visible. He currently serves as finance chair at the Republican National Committee and plans to travel the country to support Republicans trying to keep control of the House.
Trump’s approach to party loyalty has also been on display recently, as seen when he withdrew his endorsement of a Colorado Republican who refused to fall in line. Vance himself has pushed back on the idea of a rivalry, saying Rubio is his “closest friend in the administration” and that the media “wants to create this conflict where there just isn’t any conflict.”
Published: Feb 24, 2026 07:38 am