Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday sidestepped a question about his own White House ambitions during a press briefing, making light of the suggestion that he might follow in the footsteps of other administration figures eyeing the 2028 Republican nomination.
Standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave, Bessent fielded questions for over half an hour on topics ranging from the Trump administration's negotiations with Iran to the upcoming launch of a children's investment platform known as “Trump Accounts.” The briefing marked the latest in a series of fill-ins by top officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
AFP White House correspondent Danny Kemp noted that pattern during the Q&A. He pointed out that both Vance and Rubio—widely seen as potential contenders for the 2028 GOP nomination—had previously taken the podium in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. “You’re following in the footsteps at the podium there of Secretary Rubio and Vice President Vance,” Kemp said. “There’s been quite a bit of talk about their possible presidential ambitions. Does your presence here today indicate that we might see you running in 2028?”
Bessent, who had no prior elected office before joining the Treasury Department, shook his head with a smirk. “No, I think it just means they’ve run out of things on the food chain,” he replied.
Rubio addressed reporters on May 5, covering policy on Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and China. Asked about his vision for the country, he said he hopes the U.S. remains “the place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything.” Vance took the podium two weeks later, discussing Iran, artificial intelligence, and the Justice Department’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund—a program that has drawn bipartisan criticism. When pressed about his own future, Vance said, “I’m a vice president. I really like my job and I’m going to try to do as good of a job as I can.”
While Bessent deflected the 2028 question, polling suggests a tight race among potential GOP primary voters. An Emerson College survey conducted Sunday and Monday found that among 432 likely GOP primary voters, 35.5 percent backed Vance, while 34.6 percent supported Rubio. Fifteen percent were undecided, and 14.9 percent favored another candidate. The margin shifted significantly from a February Emerson poll, where Vance held a 32-point lead over Rubio. The latest poll carries a credibility interval of 4.7 percentage points.
Bessent’s appearance came amid other administration developments. The Treasury Department recently launched a children's investment app tied to the Trump Accounts program, a move that has drawn attention ahead of the midterms. Meanwhile, the administration has been escalating pressure on Iran, including new sanctions on Tehran's Strait of Hormuz authority, which officials describe as an extortion scheme.
