WATCH: President Trump Names “Most Likely” Favorite For 2028 GOP Presidential Nominee

President Trump said on Tuesday that Vice President J.D. Vance is “most likely” the favorite to secure the 2028 GOP presidential nomination.

Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy referenced Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Vance would be a “great nominee.”

“Do you agree that the heir apparent to MAGA is J.D. Vance?” Doocy asked Trump.

“I think most likely in all fairness,” Trump responded.

“He’s the vice president. I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with J.D. in some form,” he continued.

“It’s too early, obviously, to talk about it. Certainly, he’s doing a great job, and he would be probably favored at this point,” he added.

Check it out:

BREAKING: President Trump all-but clears the GOP 2028 presidential primary field, says JD VANCE is LIKELY the favorite.

DOOCY: Do you agree the heir apparent to MAGA is JD VANCE?

TRUMP: “I think MOST LIKELY. He’s the VP. Marco maybe would get together with JD…We have… pic.twitter.com/WL8QzqDAjq

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 5, 2025

CBS News has more:

The president has singled out Rubio and Vance in the past, but has mostly avoided choosing a favorite. He praised both men in a May interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” and said he didn’t “want to get involved” in picking a leader, though he noted that the vice president would typically “have an advantage.”

Vance and Rubio are both seen as possible contenders for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination. The two were once vehement Trump critics — with Rubio running against Mr. Trump in the 2016 GOP primaries — but they have repositioned themselves as allies and defenders of the president since then.

At least publicly, both men have been coy about their political ambitions. Late last month, Rubio downplayed the possibility of a presidential run in an interview on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump,” which is hosted by the president’s daughter-in-law. Rubio said he thinks Vance “would be a great nominee if he decides he wants to do that,” adding that he’d be satisfied if secretary of state ended up being “the apex of my career.”

Meanwhile, Vance told Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” in April he isn’t focused on 2028, adding: “When we get to that point, I’ll talk to the president. We’ll figure out what we want to do.”

Social media users floated a potential Vance-Rubio 2028 ticket following Trump’s comments:

BREAKING: President Trump floats possible JD Vance-Marco Rubio 2028 presidential ticket. pic.twitter.com/MVvSCbWwQD

— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) August 5, 2025

Polymarket odds listed Vance as the top 2028 presidential contender:

BREAKING: Polymarket odds reveal the top four contenders for the 2028 presidential race. JD Vance tops the list pic.twitter.com/zUD2Ujg4mB

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 5, 2025

CNN noted:

Rubio last month brushed off talks of entering the 2028 race by saying Vance would be a “great nominee.”

“I think he’s doing a great job as vice president. He’s a close friend and I hope he intends to do it, but I know it’s kind of early,” Rubio told Fox News’ Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law.

The secretary of state didn’t rule out his own presidential run, saying, “You never know what the future holds.”

Trump has declined in the past to offer any endorsement for a 2028 successor. He said in February that Vance was “very capable” but that it was too early to name him as the leading candidate.

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As CNN has previously reported, Vance’s performance as a key diplomat and top surrogate selling Trump’s foreign policy is one of multiple signs the 40-year-old onetime Marine and Ohio senator has carved out a sizable role in the second Trump administration.

Rubio, a former Florida senator, has also amassed significant influence in the administration, becoming the first person since Henry Kissinger to serve as both secretary of state and national security adviser.