Report: Trump No Longer Weighing Vance Vs. Rubio for 2028 - Has Made Up His Mind on Who Will Be Nominee
A new report says President Donald Trump has passed a watershed moment in his personal decision over who he will support to succeed him in 2028.
Trump has been weighing whether to back Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The report from Politico cited sources it did not name and reported: “the president has scaled back his Vance vs. Marco Rubio polling, and is privately changing his tone when talking about Vance in recent months, saying he’ll be the nominee.”
“The people familiar said Vance’s book tour impressed Trump. And Rubio himself appears to be clearing the way,” the report said.
“Vance allies believe the vibes are getting better for the potential 2028 standard bearer,” Politico wrote.
“I think every time he speaks publicly, it’s a reminder that he’s really good at this stuff,” a Vance ally said.
“Vance is smart to be laser-focused on the midterm elections,” a person close to the White House said. “He has proven to be one of the most prolific fundraisers the GOP has. It is pretty clear that if he runs for president in ’28, he will be the nominee.”
A separate Politico report noted that delegates to the Republican Midterm Convention called out “48” during a breakfast meeting.
🇺🇸 JUST IN: Delegates greeted JD Vance with chants of “48,” backing him to become the 48th U.S. president. pic.twitter.com/OLNY3U7GcO
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) September 10, 2026
Rubio recently told a Colombian media outlet that he is not seeking the White House right now, according to NBC News.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I have no plans at this time,” Rubio said.
“I’m not a candidate for anything right now. And I’m 100 percent focused on my job, and I have to be, because I have two jobs,” Rubio, who is Trump’s interim national security adviser as well as secretary of state, said.
Marco Rubio says he has no plans to run in 2028. My bet, he is either going to run as the VP candidate with JD Vance, if JD gets the nomination, or sit out 2028 and if the GOP nominee loses, run in 2032. It’s not clear Rubio himself knows yet what he may do as it take a bit of…
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) September 9, 2026
A source NBC did not name said Rubio is telling people privately he has ruled out a 2028 campaign.
“Rubio loves being secretary of state and is really enjoying the job,” the person said.
“The president trusts him to have a big portfolio. He is still young, and smart in both policy and politics, and is keeping his options open for the future,” the source said.
“If you asked him if he’s interested in 2032 or 2036, he would probably say sure,” the person said.
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