Vice President JD Vance brushed aside President Donald Trump’s speculation about his and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s potential presidential campaign while likening Trump’s fascination with the heir to GOP leadership to “The Apprentice.”
Vance told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday that he isn’t thinking about 2028, while calling Rubio a “very, very dear friend” and insisting he’s concentrating on his role in the Trump administration.
But the president appears invested in the possibility of Vance and Rubio dueling to be his successor. The New York Times reported on Sunday that Trump has been polling friends and advisers about whether Vance or Rubio should be at the top of the GOP presidential ticket in 2028. And on Monday, Trump informally polled White House attendees on who they preferred to lead the party before saying that a ticket featuring both would be a “dream team.”
Vance downplayed the significance of comments that appear to pit Vance and Rubio against each other, joking that the public musings about the party’s future resemble the reality show Trump hosted before entering politics.
“I just don’t think it sounds like the president of the United States to have a televised competition for who would succeed him as his apprentice,” Vance said, prompting laughs from some in the room. “I just think that’s not at all what you would expect the president to do.”
The vice president said it’s “natural” for Trump to take an interest in who the Republican presidential nominee will be in 2028 to the extent that he would “joke around” with Vance and Rubio about their political futures.
While Vance has continually sought to tamp down speculation about his political future, he’s taken steps to prepare for a potential White House run. As the Republican National Committee’s finance chair, Vance has traveled around the country meeting with donors who could help boost a future campaign. And he’s campaigned for Republicans in battleground seats, including earlier this month in Iowa, traditionally the first presidential nominating contest on the calendar.
Rubio’s high-profile role in advancing Trump’s foreign policy agenda has won him supporters both around the country and inside the White House. But he has repeatedly suggested he would not run against Vance in 2028.