By Shelby Talcott, Morgan Chalfant, and Burgess Everett
President Donald Trump gave JD Vance and Marco Rubio huge portfolios and has openly named both as his potential successors — putting two unlikely friends on a collision course for the GOP nomination in 2028.
Vance and Rubio aren’t exactly rivals; in fact, White House officials and people close to the vice president note he developed a close relationship with the secretary of state during their time together in the Senate, and now, in the Trump administration. Intentionally or not, though, the president is stoking future competition between the duo, and those around him are taking notice.
Both men are in charge of high-profile policy tasks, with Rubio recently claiming multiple positions in the administration, and are often seen by Trump’s side. On Tuesday — days after Trump mentioned Rubio, then Vance, as potential successors — the pair sat next to each other on the yellow couch in the Oval Office as the president met with Canada’s new prime minister.
“He just loves to stir the pot, doesn’t he?” Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told Semafor of Trump’s dual boost for each man. “Rubio has the depth, but man, Vance seems to be picking it up fast, really fast. They’re both clearly on the short list, if they’re interested.”
Rubio’s rising fortunes, combined with Vance’s pole position, offer two distinct but not clashing previews of the post-Trump Republican Party: Vance is the heir to Trump’s most loyal base, and his Midwest heritage appeals to working-class voters, while Rubio’s blend of Trumpism and establishment bona fides could prove attractive to Hispanics and more moderate voters. Vance’s Ohio and Rubio’s Florida are both swing states that Trump turned red.
And despite both men’s years-old criticism of Trump, they are now essentially in lockstep with him on policy. That’s a positive sign for Trump’s allies, who are already wondering if anyone can truly inherit the MAGA movement after he leaves the White House.
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