Marco Rubio says he will be the first person to endorse JD Vance if he runs for president in 2028

Secretary of State Marco Rubio cleared up doubts about his eventual presidential ambitions and assured that he will back his "friend," Vice President JD Vance, if he decides to run for the White House in 2028. His comments, made during an interview with NBC News, come as Rubio positions himself as a favorite to succeed President Donald Trump, who is constitutionally barred from running again in two years.

When asked if he would like to be president, Rubio said he only thinks about his current position as secretary of state: "I'm going to be in this job for the next two and a half years. […] I'm going to finish the job for this president," he said. He then directed praise toward Vance.

"If J.D. runs for president, I think he'd be a phenomenal candidate. I've said publicly, and I'll say it again, I'll be the first person to sign up and support him. I think J.D. would do great," the secretary of state said.

When asked about the possibility of joining the ticket as vice-presidential candidate, Rubio dodged the question: "I want to be the Secretary of State, and I'll worry about the future in the future." The Cuban-American leader then recalled that he has been in politics since 2010, when he was elected to the Senate from Florida, and acknowledged that, at some point, he would like to "do other things" with his life, although he described public service as "an honor."

The statements come in a particular context. Days earlier, Trump stoked speculation by suggesting that a Vance-Rubio formula would be a "Dream Team" for 2028, though he later clarified that his words did not constitute a formal endorsement. Vance, for his part, also cooled the talks during a press conference, where he said he prefers to focus on his current administration rather than a future candidacy.

The debate over Republican leadership has intensified as Rubio gains ground in the polls. An AtlasIntel national poll released this week placed him as the favorite among Republican voters for a hypothetical primary, with 45.4% support, ahead of Vance (29.6%) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (11.2%).

That result contrasts with this year's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) poll, where Vance remained first with 53%, but followed closely by Rubio with 35%. The gap was much narrower than in 2025, when the vice president led comfortably with 61% versus just 3% for the then-not-yet-named secretary of state.

With both referents avoiding public confrontations and Trump fueling rumors, the 2028 formula remains, for now, an open scenario.