Secretary of State Marco Rubio has privately made a surprise endorsement in the 2028 Republican presidential primary… two years before it even brings.
Rubio is telling insiders that Vice President J.D. Vance should be the Republican Party’s 2028 nominee, reportedly stepping aside from his own White House ambitions to back his political ally.
“Marco has been very clear that JD is going to be the Republican nominee if he wants to be,” Politico quoted a White House insider saying. “He will do anything he can just to support the vice president in that effort.”
Rubio first hinted at his endorsement during an interview on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump” in July, calling Vance “a great nominee” for 2028.
“I think JD Vance would be a great nominee if he decides he wants to do that,” Rubio said. “I think he’s doing a great job as vice president. He’s a close friend, and I hope he intends to do it.”
The endorsement marks a shift for Rubio, who has long has presidential ambitions. The former Florida senator told Lara Trump he intends to serve his full term as secretary of State, instead of running for the Oval Office.
“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. “And I would be satisfied with that as the apex of my career.”
“So, that’s what I’m focused on right now because what we’re doing some special things that I think are going to bear dividend and fruit for a generation.”
Rubio did not completely rule out a future White House bid, of course.
“I feel, honestly, you never know what the future holds. You never rule things out or anything, because you just don’t know. Things change very quickly,” Rubio said. “But that said, I believe that if I am able to be here through the duration of this presidency. If we get things done at the pace that we’ve been doing the last six months, I’ll be able to look back at my time in public service and say, ‘I made a difference, I had an impact, and I served my country in a very positive way.'”
Vance said last week that he has joked about a 2028 ticket with Rubio as his vice president, adding that President Donald Trump hinted at it months ago.
“I mentioned it to the secretary in jest, but it feels so premature, because we’re still so early,” Vance told “Pod Force One.”
On Wednesday, Vance called Rubio his “best friend in the administration” and dismissed concerns about tension over 2028 ambitions.
“First of all, no, there’s not going to be any tension,” Vance said. “Marco is my best friend in the administration. He and I work a lot together and we really do, I think — a lot of the good work that we do as an administration is because we’re all able to work together.”
President Trump has publicly suggested Vance and Rubio are his MAGA successors. He recently told reporters on Air Force One that he was “not sure if anyone would run against those two” in 2028.
“We have JD obviously, the vice president, who’s great,” Trump said. “Marco’s great. I’m not sure if anyone would run against those two.”
“I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” Trump added.