US President Donald Trump has suggested the “most likely” heir to the Make America Great Again movement, in the strongest indication yet of who he thinks could be his successor.
Trump named Vice President JD Vance as one of the leading candidates, proposing that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio could join for a future Republican ticket.
“Well, I think most likely,” Trump told reporters when asked whether Vance was MAGA’s “heir apparent”.
“In all fairness, he’s the vice president.”
“I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” he went on.
“I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here.”
Among those appearing with Trump on Tuesday were Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, also believed to have higher political ambitions, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“It’s too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he’s doing a great job, and he would be probably favourite at this point,” Trump said of Vance.
Rubio last month brushed off talks of entering the 2028 race by saying Vance would be a “great nominee”.
“I think he’s doing a great job as vice president. He’s a close friend and I hope he intends to do it, but I know it’s kind of early,” Rubio told Fox News’ Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law.
The secretary of state didn’t rule out his own presidential run, saying, “you never know what the future holds.”
Trump has declined in the past to offer any endorsement for a 2028 successor.
He said in February that Vance was “very capable” but that it was too early to name him as the leading candidate.
As CNN has previously reported, Vance’s performance as a key diplomat and top surrogate selling Trump’s foreign policy is one of multiple signs the 40-year-old one-time Marine and Ohio senator has carved out a sizable role in the second Trump administration.
Rubio, a former Florida senator, has also amassed significant influence in the administration, becoming the first person since Henry Kissinger to serve as both secretary of state and national security adviser.
Though they competed for the VP job, Rubio and Vance have since forged a close working relationship.
“Marco is incredibly competent and reliable, and he’s also one of my closest friends in the administration,” Vance told CNN last month.
