Donald Trump has declined to endorse a potential successor for the 2028 Republican presidential campaign, despite ongoing speculation surrounding JD Vance and Marco Rubio.
JD Vance, a former Republican senator from Ohio, has indicated he plans to discuss a possible presidential bid with Mr Trump following the November midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Republican insiders are speculating that Marco Rubio, a former Florida senator who previously challenged Mr Trump for the party’s 2016 presidential nomination, might also seek the presidency.
While Mr Rubio has not ruled out a 2028 campaign, he has publicly praised Vance as a strong prospective candidate.
Speaking to NBC News, Mr Trump stated he would “be inclined” to endorse a successor when questioned about Vance and Rubio, though he added he wished to defer the discussion for now.
“We have three years to go. I don’t want to, you know, I have two people that are doing a great job. I don’t want to have an argument with, or I don’t want to use the word ‘fight’ — it wouldn’t be a fight. But look, JD is fantastic, and Marco is fantastic,” Trump said.
Trump has often said the two men should run together on the same ticket. The 2028 election will feature a wide-open race on both the Republican and Democratic sides and crowded fields are expected.
In a possible nod to Rubio, the country’s chief diplomat, Trump said of the pair: “I would say one is slightly more diplomatic than the other.”
He called them both men of very high intelligence.
“I think there’s a difference in style,” Trump said. “You know, you can see the style yourself. But they’re both very capable. I do think this: The combination of JD and Marco would be very hard to be beaten, I think. But you never know in politics, right?”
Trump in the interview also again appeared to toy with the possibility of seeking an unconstitutional third term. He had flirted with the idea last year, later abandoning the concept.
Asked if he saw “any scenario” in which he would still be president when the next president’s term begins in January 2029, Trump said: “I don’t know. It would be interesting.”
