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President Donald Trump said in a podcast interview released Wednesday that a future Republican presidential ticket pairing Vice President JD Vance with Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be “very hard to beat” in the 2028 election.
Speaking with columnist and podcast host Miranda Devine, the president praised the relationship between the two administration officials and suggested they would form a strong political team.
“I would think that JD and Marco as a team would be very hard to beat,” he said. “It’s interesting, human thing, the human equation. So I watch them together, they get along great.”
Both Vance and Rubio are widely viewed as potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, though neither has formally announced plans to run.
Rubio recently drew bipartisan attention for his performance during a White House press briefing, where he defended administration policy on issues including the ongoing conflict with Iran while using humor and a 1990s hip-hop reference that circulated widely online.
Vance and Rubio have both become increasingly visible public defenders of the administration, often appearing at White House briefings and media events as the administration faces criticism over foreign policy and domestic issues.
President Trump has continued to encourage speculation about Republican succession plans even as both men publicly downplay their own presidential ambitions.
Vance dismissed questions about a possible 2028 Republican ticket with Rubio after after Trump’s comments.
“I love Marco. I think he’s a great secretary of state. He’s become a very, very dear friend. But I think both of us are very much focused on accomplishing the American people’s business right now,” Vance said during a news conference on Wednesday.
No major Republican candidate has officially entered the 2028 race. On the Democratic side, several potential contenders have already begun positioning themselves for what is expected to become an open and highly competitive presidential contest to succeed the president.