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The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, downplayed on Tuesday the growing speculation about a possible competition with Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the 2028 presidential elections, asserting that both are focused on the Trump administration's agenda rather than future campaigns.
During an interview on the program Fox & Friends, Vance was asked about Rubio's recent statements, in which he claimed he would not run for president if the current vice president decided to run as a Republican candidate.
Far from fueling the narrative of a rivalry, Vance responded with humor and attributed much of the speculation to President Donald Trump himself.
"We are all focused on the work ahead of us. I believe the president enjoys stirring the pot a bit, and he loves the entertainment that it generates," he commented.
The vice president even compared the situation to a reality TV show, seemingly alluding to Trump's television past.
“Does it really seem fitting for a president of the United States to host a televised program to pick his next apprentice? That’s what the president does, and he loves it. And he makes all of this fun,” he said.
The reference inevitably called to mind The Apprentice, the successful show that Trump hosted for years before entering politics.
Vance insisted that he believes it is premature to talk about the 2028 presidential race when the administration has only just surpassed its first year and a half in power.
"What I hate about politicians is that sometimes it seems like, instead of doing the job they were elected for, they are more concerned about the next position," he stated.
"Let’s get the work done. Let’s win the midterm elections. And then we can talk about what happens in 2028," he added.
The statements come after several months of comments from Trump that have fueled the debate about who might become the political heir of the Republican movement.
In June, the leader publicly praised a potential ticket led by Vance and Rubio, calling it "very hard to beat." Months earlier, he had already described a combination between the two as "unstoppable."
The possibility of a future contest between the two Republican leaders has sparked interest within the party. While Vance maintains a strong connection with the MAGA movement base, Rubio has strengthened his national profile since taking on the role of U.S. Secretary of State.
However, the vice president tried to close the debate and again highlighted his relationship with the Secretary of State, whom he has previously described as one of his closest friends within the administration.
"If I do a good job, the politics will resolve themselves," he concluded.
While Vance was granting interviews in the United States, Rubio was accompanying Trump in France during the G7 summit, an image that reflects the central role both are currently playing in an administration where discussions about 2028 seem to have started much earlier than usual.
Surveys show a divided landscape between the two candidates. At the CPAC in March 2026, Vance was leading with 53% compared to Rubio's 35% among conservative attendees, but an AtlasIntel poll from May placed Rubio ahead with 45.4% versus Vance's 29.6% in the general population.
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