US President Donald Trump has suggested that Vice President J D Vance is “most likely” to be the heir apparent to his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio could also be part of the leadership “in some form.”
“Well, I think most likely. In all fairness, he’s the vice president,” Trump said on Tuesday when asked about his potential successor to the MAGA movement.
Trump, who has been in office for just over six months, said it was “too early” to discuss successors, but praised Vance as “doing a great job” and “probably the favourite at this point,” according to media reports.
The president was quick to add that Rubio could also “get together with JD in some form.” Trump had previously declined to endorse any candidate for the 2028 presidential race.
In February, Trump described Vance as “very capable” but said it was premature to name him as the leading contender.
Vance, 40, is a former US Marine and served as a senator from Ohio between 2023 and 2025. Since becoming vice president, he has taken on a prominent role in the second Trump administration.
Rubio, in an interview last month, dismissed speculation about a 2028 presidential bid, saying he was focused on his current role. However, he did not rule it out entirely, noting: “You never know what the future holds.”
Both Rubio and Vance had contested for the vice-presidential slot before working together to promote Trump’s agenda.
“Marco is incredibly competent and reliable, and he’s also one of my closest friends in the administration,” Vance told the media last month.
This marks the first time Trump has publicly hinted that Vance could be his preferred successor. In May, he had named both Vance and Rubio as potential future leaders.
Follow us
