U.S. presidential election 2028: Donald Trump backs JD Vance and Marco Rubio as a duo
Trump is floating a joint 2028 ticket with JD Vance and Marco Rubio, saying he likes them together and thinks they would be hard to beat.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini

In a New York Post podcast, Donald Trump suggested JD Vance and Marco Rubio could run together in 2028. He did not say who would lead the ticket, and the two remain rivals for the post-Trump Republican succession.
Trump is saying two of his party’s biggest stars, JD Vance and Marco Rubio, might team up for the next big election. It is like two strong players on the same sports team trying to decide who leads the play.
Analysis
Trump starts shaping 2028 early
Donald Trump is already talking about the Republican ticket for the next U.S. presidential election, even though 2028 is still years away. In a podcast with the New York Post, he raised the idea of JD Vance and Marco Rubio running together. He said he likes both men and suggested they would be difficult to defeat if they joined forces.
No decision on the top spot
Trump did not settle the key question: who would run for president and who would be vice president. According to the article, he said the two would still need to agree on a joint candidacy, but he added that they get along well.
The piece frames this against the rules of the U.S. Constitution, which bar Trump from seeking another term after completing his second presidency. It notes that Trump had at times hinted he might try again, but people around him viewed that more as provocation than a serious plan.
Rivalry beneath the friendly tone
Rubio and Vance are described as rivals for the Trump succession, even as both stress their friendship. Rubio, who is 54, has reportedly suggested he could step aside if the younger Vance wanted the top job. Recent polling cited by the article shows the two men running almost neck and neck among Republican voters.
That makes Trump’s remark less like a final decision and more like an early signal about where power may cluster after him. The article suggests he is still trying to define the field, even without being on the ballot himself.
Key points
- Trump suggested a joint JD Vance-Marco Rubio ticket for 2028 in a podcast interview.
- He did not decide which of the two would run for president and which would be vice president.
- The article says Vance and Rubio are rivals for the post-Trump Republican succession.
- Trump cannot run again after his second term under the U.S. Constitution.
- Recent polls cited in the story show the two men nearly tied among Republican voters.
If Vance and Rubio manage to agree on a shared ticket, Republicans could enter 2028 with a clear path and less internal fighting. Their reported good relationship and similar support among Republican voters could make that handoff smoother.
If neither man gives way, the Trump succession fight could become a long and messy rivalry. The article says they are close in voter support, which could make it harder for the party to settle on one clear leader.
