The President of the United States, Donald Trump, once again mentioned Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential candidates for the presidency in 2028, although he avoided revealing whom he considers as his possible successor at the helm of the Republican Party.
The statements were recorded during an exchange with Fox journalists and were shared this Sunday by the account Rapid Response 47, linked to the White House communications.
“Who will run in 2028?”, one of the journalists asked the president, referring to the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.
“I could tell you who I think it will be, but it’s a little early,” Trump replied, leaving the possibility of expressing his preferences open for later.
Faced with the journalist's insistence on wanting to know which names he had heard, the president directly mentioned two of the most important officials in his administration.
"We have big names. We have JD, Marco, and many others. We have a great group of candidates," he stated, before adding that in his opinion, the Democrats do not have a comparable offer.
Trump did not specify if he would prefer Vance to lead a future presidential candidacy with Rubio as a running mate, nor did he express explicit support for either of them.
The exchange also included a question about two potential Democratic candidates: former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom.
"I suppose those are possibilities. I believe Kamala is leading right now, which is quite surprising, but that's fine," Trump responded, without specifying which survey or measurement he was referring to.
Regarding Newsom, he noted that he hadn't seen his name mentioned so frequently lately.
"There are four or five. They have some good people that people don't actually talk about. I hope they continue not to talk about them," the leader added, without identifying those other potential candidates.
The statements represent a new public reference by Trump to the Republican succession, a matter he has addressed several times without formally committing to a candidacy.
In February 2026, Axios revealed that the president was consulting with advisors and close associates about his preferences between JD Vance and Marco Rubio, in private conversations regarding the political future of the MAGA movement.
According to that research, Trump valued both officials and believed they could play important roles in the 2028 Republican candidacy.
In May, during a dinner held at the White House, the leader went on to describe a potential joint ticket of Vance and Rubio as a "dream team" and asked those present which of the two they preferred.
On that occasion, he suggested that the vice president could lead the candidacy with Rubio accompanying him, but he clarified that his comments did not constitute an official endorsement.
The possibility of a joint candidacy has also been mentioned by members of the Republican Party. However, neither of the two officials has formally announced that they will compete for the presidency in the 2028 elections.
Last August, Fox News reported that Trump had expressed to a group of donors the necessity of electing JD Vance, according to a source familiar with that private conversation.
That comment was interpreted as a sign of preference for the vice president, although people familiar with the exchange warned that it did not mean Trump had made a definitive decision.
Rubio has also been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate due to his political background, his experience as a senator from Florida, and the responsibilities he currently holds as Secretary of State.
The Cuban-American politician already competed for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, when he faced Trump himself during the primary elections.
In September, Rubio denied that he was preparing an immediate presidential candidacy and stated that his current responsibilities took up all his time.
I had also previously expressed that I would support Vance if the vice president decided to seek the Republican nomination.
An analysis from The Washington Post published in August identified Vance and Rubio among the most mentioned Republican figures for 2028, along with other potential candidates such as Senator Ted Cruz and state party leaders.
In September, during a Republican convention held in Dallas, Associated Press gathered opinions from attendees who mentioned Vance, Rubio, Ron DeSantis, and Cruz as possible candidates to succeed Trump.
In the Democratic field, Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom are also among the names mentioned in discussions about 2028, alongside other leaders such as Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The next presidential election in the United States is scheduled for November 7, 2028. Trump, who is serving his second presidential term, cannot be elected to that office again under the provisions of the Twenty-Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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