Trump says JD Vance 'most likely' MAGA successor for 2028

UPDATED: Aug 6, 2025 04:42 IST

US President Donald Trump has strongly hinted that Vice President JD Vance is ‘most likely’ to be the political heir to the MAGA movement in 2028, while also suggesting Secretary of State Marco Rubio could have a significant role in the party’s future leadership.

In a recent interview, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked Trump, “You could clear the entire Republican field right now. Do you agree that the heir apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?” To that, Trump responded, “Well, I think most likely. In all fairness, he’s the vice president.”

Trump also floated the possibility of Secretary of State Marco Rubio teaming up with Vance "in some form" and praised both men along with other Republican figures, calling them “incredible people.”

“I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” he said.

While Trump has previously praised both Rubio and Vance, he has generally stopped short of endorsing a specific successor. In a May interview on NBC's Meet the Press, he acknowledged that a sitting vice president would typically have an edge, but said he did not want to interfere in picking a future leader.

Both Vance and Rubio were once sharp critics of Trump. Rubio notably ran against him in the 2016 GOP primaries, but they have since become staunch allies. Their political futures have been the subject of speculation, particularly regarding a possible run for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination.

In a recent Fox News interview, Rubio said he’d be content if his current role as Secretary of State marked the peak of his political career, while also praising Vance as a potential nominee. Vance, for his part, told Fox and Friends in April that he wasn’t focused on 2028 yet and would consult Trump before making any decisions.

Meanwhile, Trump again addressed speculation about a potential third term. Though constitutionally barred from serving more than two terms, he has occasionally teased the idea. On CNBC’s Squawk Box earlier Tuesday, he said he would “probably not” run again but claimed, “I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.”

Further fuelling rumours, Trump’s campaign briefly sold “Trump 2028” merchandise earlier this year. In an interview with The Atlantic, he laughed off reports that he had asked the Justice Department to explore the legality of a third term, joking, “Maybe I’m just trying to shatter.”

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