There’s been a lot of speculation about which Republicans might be well-suited to carry on President Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda after the conclusion of his second term in the White House.
Several names have emerged, but Trump himself recently weighed in with his forecast of the candidates likely to form a Republican presidential ticket in three years.
Fox News Channel White House correspondent Peter Doocy prompted the president’s response with a question on Tuesday, as the outlet reported:
“You could clear the entire Republican field right now,” Doocy told Trump. “Do you agree that the heir-apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?”
ADVERTISEMENTIn his answer, Trump noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could team up with Vance to create a formidable ticket.
“Well, I think most likely. In all fairness, he’s the vice president, and I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” Trump replied.
“I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here. So it’s too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he’s doing a great job,” he added. “And he would be probably favored at this point.”
Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been mentioned frequently in social media discussions about the next presidential cycle.
In light of Trump’s remarks, which notably stopped short of an endorsement, many supporters were enthusiastic about the potential ticket:
Let's stay focused on the work in front of us, but I'll say this much for now…
JD Vance and Marco Rubio would be one of the most formidable presidential tickets ever assembled.
Okay, back to work. Onward! pic.twitter.com/VJiSQdOFik
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 5, 2025
Yes and 2032 Rubio/Gabbard
— lisa b (@lisapril517) August 6, 2025
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump floats a Vance/Rubio ticket in 2028
I’m all for it! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8VFUbn3rQh
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 5, 2025
The Daily Caller also reported on Trump’s recent remarks before segueing into recent comments from Rubio:
In an interview on Fox News’s “My View with Lara Trump,” Rubio said the same thing, calling Vance a “great nominee” for the Republican Party in 2028, should he choose to run.
ADVERTISEMENT“I think JD Vance would be a great nominee … if he decides he wants to do that,” Rubio said.
In May, political analyst Mark Halperin predicted that Vance and Rubio would likely lead the Republican ticket in 2028. He said Rubio has emerged as “one of the stars” of Trump’s second term and is well-positioned to join Vance as his running mate.
“[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 immigration, 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 JD Vance and Marco Rubio could end up being a preordained ticket in 2028, unlike [what] we’ve ever seen before.”
Here’s some additional coverage of Trump’s 2028 forecast:
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