US President Donald Trump named Secretary of State and national security adviser Marco Rubio as one of the possible candidates of the Republican Party for the 2028 presidential election. However, he did not commit to supporting a specific contender.
In an interview with CBS News recorded on November 6 and broadcast two days later on the program “60 Minutes,” journalist Ross Douthat asked Trump whether he would support a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. “Probably. Not necessarily,” the president replied.
Trump said the party had a “very strong group” of candidates and that he had good relations with many of them. Asked which names, besides Vice President JD Vance, were on his list, he replied: “I think Marco is great.”
The president did not name any other potential candidates. “There are many others, but I prefer not to mention their names. There are senators who are excellent. I know them all and I like them,” Trump said.
He also left open the question of whether he would use his political influence to support his successor in the Republican Party. “I may get involved, and I may not get involved. I don’t know. Maybe it’s better not to interfere,” Trump said in the interview.
The conversation took place against the backdrop of preparations for the 2028 White House race. Ross Douthat noted that in two years the Republican Party would have another presidential candidate, which Trump confirmed.
Rubio and Vance are already among the names being considered as possible contenders for the Republican nomination. The Associated Press described the two as potential rivals in the future race, but neither has officially announced a candidacy.
Marco Rubio was appointed secretary of state at the beginning of Trump’s second term and later temporarily took on the duties of national security adviser as well. In the interview, the president said he expected Rubio to remain secretary of state and praised his work.
Trump is the dominant figure in the Republican Party, and his potential backing will likely be an important factor in the primaries. The president himself, however, said he had not yet decided whether to intervene in the selection of a candidate for 2028.
Sources: cbsnews.com, apnews.com