President Donald Trump on Monday floated the idea of a 2028 Republican ticket pairing Vice President J.D. Vance with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling the duo a “dream team” during a White House event. Speaking at a Rose Garden dinner honoring law enforcement for National Police Week, Trump polled attendees on their preference between the two men, but stopped short of issuing a formal endorsement.
“Who likes J.D. Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket,” Trump said, according to pool reports. “J.D. is a perfect — That was a perfect ticket.” He added, “By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team. But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance. But you know … I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate.”
The remarks come as political strategists and observers repeatedly question whether Trump will eventually endorse Vance, Rubio, or urge them to run together. Both officials have been asked about their 2028 ambitions but have said they are focused on the current administration’s work. In December, Rubio told Vanity Fair he would be “one of the first people to support” Vance if the vice president runs for the White House.
Trump’s habit of testing public sentiment on potential successors is a hallmark of his political style. GOP strategist Brian Seitchik, who worked on Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, noted, “It’s very Trump to constantly do a pulse check on how folks feel about Marco versus Vance. That is very much in the president’s DNA, to get a sense of where donors are and politicos and even folks in the media.” Seitchik added that such questions naturally generate competition, a dynamic Trump values from his “The Apprentice” days.
Rubio, who launched a presidential bid in 2016 but suspended it after losing the primary to Trump, later returned to the Senate before joining the administration. Vance was in the middle of his first Senate term when Trump recruited him as his running mate. Both have taken on expanded roles—Rubio has served as acting national security adviser, among other duties—and Trump has praised them publicly. In March, he told reporters, “Marco Rubio is doing a great job. I think he’s going to go down as the greatest secretary of State in history. He’s been successful no matter where he’s been.”
The president’s latest comments keep the 2028 speculation alive, even as the administration grapples with pressing foreign policy challenges. Trump’s handling of Iran has drawn scrutiny—the president recently declared a ceasefire on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s counteroffer, a development that could shape the GOP’s midterm prospects. Meanwhile, the White House faces questions about the cost of renovations to the Reflecting Pool, which have surged to $13.1 million as Trump faces a legal challenge over the project.
For now, Trump appears content to keep potential successors guessing. “It sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate,” he said, but quickly added, “That does not mean you have my endorsement.”
