Marco Rubio
Donald TrumpPoliticsRepublicans

Rubio Names A ‘Close Friend’ When Pressed About Potential 2028 Presidential Run

RNN Staff

Trump’s Secretary of State calls Vice President JD Vance a “great nominee” and “close friend,” while downplaying speculation about his own presidential aspirations.

In a weekend appearance on Fox News’ My View with Lara Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave perhaps his strongest signal yet that he’s not currently eyeing a 2028 White House run — and instead threw his support behind Vice President JD Vance.

Asked directly by host Lara Trump whether he has “sights set” on higher office after his time at the State Department, Rubio deflected. “Well, I think JD Vance would be a great nominee,” he said. “He’s doing a great job as vice president. He’s a close friend. And I hope he intends to do it.”

While Rubio didn’t explicitly rule himself out, he emphasized that he’s focused entirely on his diplomatic duties, noting that federal restrictions prevent him from engaging in partisan political activity while serving in his current role. “I want to do this job as long as the president allows me to,” Rubio said, adding that if he finishes out the term, it would take him through January 2028.

Still, Rubio left the door open. “You never know what the future holds,” he said. “Things change very quickly.”

Rubio also reflected on what he sees as an extraordinarily successful start to Trump’s second term. “If we keep going at this pace, I’ll be able to look back and say I made a difference,” he said. “I would be satisfied with that as the apex of my career.”

Rubio’s praise for Vice President Vance echoed President Trump’s own recent remarks. In a May interview on NBC’s Meet The Press, Trump described Vance as “fantastic” and “brilliant,” and said, “It could very well be” when asked whether Vance was at the top of the list of future GOP presidential contenders. He also mentioned Rubio by name as a potential successor.

“We have a lot of good people in this party,” Trump said, also noting the “tremendous unity” among GOP leadership.

Rubio, for his part, recalled his own political journey with Trump — from fierce rivals in 2016 to staunch allies now. “We got a lot done together,” he said of Trump’s first term, describing it as his most productive time in the Senate. He added that their bond only deepened during Trump’s years as a Florida resident and constituent.

“He picked one of my closest friends in politics, JD Vance, to be vice president,” Rubio said. “It was a great team.”

While the 2028 race remains years away, Trump’s hint at potential successors and Rubio’s warm backing of Vance are already shaping early buzz around the GOP’s next generation. With Trump firmly in command of the party and his administration racking up foreign policy and economic wins, many see continuity — not insurgency — as the likely theme of the next primary. And for now, both Vance and Rubio appear content with their roles on Trump’s team.

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