As the US midterm elections, which will be Donald Trump's last, approach, it seems that the question of who will succeed him is increasingly coming to the fore.
On the evening of February 28, after the US and Israel struck Iran, Trump held a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with some of his senior administration officials and Republican Party sponsors, asking them: Who would they prefer to support for president in 2028 - Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Vice President J.D. Vance?
Two people who attended the meeting told NBC News that almost everyone unanimously named Marco Rubio, and according to another participant, the two received equal votes. support.
Marco Rubio or J.D. Vance?
In early 2025, Donald Trump refused to name J.D. Vance as his automatic successor on Fox News, saying at the time that the vice president "is very capable." In fact, it seems Trump wants both Rubio and DeVance to run for president in 2028.
"Vance-Rubio is the president's dream ticket" for 2028 - "and to be clear, Vance is in the lead", a Trump adviser told Axios, whom the president asked to share his opinion on potential leading candidates for the next US presidential election.
Although in recent weeks - due to the Trump administration's focus on foreign policy issues - the president has been more likely to praise Rubio and he has been mentioned more often in public, while DeVance has remained in the background, a preliminary survey by the University of New Hampshire from February 19 this year. shows J.D. Vance leading among likely Republican voters, with 53% support, while Rubio is at just 7%.
According to the NBC News poll conducted by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies, J.D. Vance is once again leading Marco Rubio, with 27% of respondents giving him a positive rating, while Rubio has a 24% approval rating.
Rubio himself said last year that if J.D. Vance were to run for president, he would support him. According to an Axios source, Rubio's position has not changed at this time and he has even personally told DiVance about it.
Politico sources also reported that Marco Rubio said that J.D. Vance was the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2028, reaffirming his support for him.
In an interview, CNN journalist Eric Bradner noted that "Rubio is clearly someone who enjoys the favor of President Trump, who has run for president before, knows how to do it, and would be a viable candidate in any race he entered. But he doesn't seem to have the appetite to take on J.D. Vance, at least at this early stage of Trump's presidency.
More potential candidates
However, Rubio and DeVance are not the only ones who could be Trump's successors.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz and Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., have also been mentioned as potential Republican presidential candidates in the 2028 election.
Ron DeSantis
The Florida governor, whose term ends in 2026, already ran for president in 2024, but then lost to Trump. It is assumed that after his term as governor expires, he will try to return to politics.
Desantis does not rule out running for president again in 2028. Although his influence in the Republican Party has decreased, he retains a significant base of supporters among conservative voters.
According to a survey by Issues and Insights, conducted between January 27 and 29, 2026, DeSantis receives 5% support for the Republican candidate in 2028.
Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz was the Republican Party's presidential candidate in the 2016 election. Then he defeated Donald Trump in Iowa, but subsequently dropped out of the race and became his ally.
Cruz has a reputation as a staunch conservative with deep ideological convictions. He has strong influence among the libertarian and evangelical wings of the Republican Party, with whom he hopes to secure a second bid for the White House. But according to a survey by Issues and Insights, he has 2% support.
Donald Trump Jr.
Although the eldest son of the US president has repeatedly stated that he has "no interest" in running in 2028, he has not 100% ruled out a candidacy.
Donald Trump Jr. has no formal political experience, but he is one of the most prominent figures in the MAGA movement, which his father popularized during his three presidential campaigns.
He is a regular at rallies and is popular with Republicans, with some suggesting that his 2028 candidacy could appeal to voters seeking continuity.
According to the Issues and Insights survey, Donald Trump Jr. has 18% support, behind J.D. Vance, who has 43% support, according to the survey. Marco Rubio is at 5%.