Political analyst Mark Halperin predicted on Tuesday that Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be at the top of the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential ticket.
Halperin said that Rubio has proven himself to be “one of the stars” of President Donald Trump’s second administration through his rhetoric, confidence, and current appeal to Trump supporters. According to Halperin, Rubio’s growing momentum will likely make him a running mate for Vance in the 2028 election cycle.
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“[Rubio] is just one of the stars of this administration,” Halperin said on “Special Report.” “Even if you don’t agree with his policies, his knowledge of policy, his rhetoric, and his winning over MAGA. He won a rough spell with MAGA over immigratio,n and now he is one of the heroes of the movement. And I said it earlier today, and I’ll say it again, I really do think J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio could end up being a preordained ticket in 2028, unlike we’ve ever seen before.”
Rubio has gained popularity with the American public and with Trump, who has appointed him acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), national security adviser, and overseer of the National Archives. The Secretary of State has overseen the revocation of student visas for those who are alleged to support Hamas, including Mahmoud Khalil, who was involved in a student encampment at Columbia University in April 2024.
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The Secretary of State has also staunchly defended the mass deportations carried out by the Trump administration. During a Tuesday hearing in the Senate, Rubio turned the tables on Democrat Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen by saying that even illegal immigrants who he likes to have margaritas with, referring to the alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, will be deported if they have a criminal record.
Vance’s role at the finance arm of the Republican National Committee and his friendship with Donald Trump Jr., who pushed his father to pick him as his running mate in 2024, have made him a serious contender to run in 2028. Halperin said in November that Vance had already given himself a “huge advantage” over other possible 2028 presidential contenders over his willingness to conduct interviews over a variety of platforms.
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Rubio and Vance are among the most popular members of the Trump administration. According to Gallup News, as of February, Vance had a 42% favorable rating, while Rubio had a 41% rating.
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First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
