Washington Name Exchange. Marco Rubio emerging as JD Vance's rival?

US President Donald Trump has recently been praising Secretary of State Mark Rubio more and more often. The head of US diplomacy found himself at the center of events in connection with the Trump administration's military operations in Venezuela and Iran. Vice President JD Vance has somewhat faded into the background, the media note.

Trump is wondering who could be the Republican candidate in the 2028 presidential election and who is qualified to lead the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement after his departure. The president has not yet made a final decision on who will receive his support. Vance has long been perceived as the favorite, but – as American media have recently pointed out – Rubio is also increasingly mentioned in this context. As Newsweek reported, it is believed that both Vance and Rubio would continue their MAGA agenda.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump has been asking his advisers, friends and donors for months what they think of Rubio and Vance. This pits two young and ambitious Republicans against each other, who are friends and work in the same administration.

On Saturday, February 28, the day the war with Iran began, Trump met in Florida with several dozen sponsors. During dinner, the president asked what the audience thought about the vice president and secretary of state. The media claims that it was Rubio who received the loudest applause from the crowd.

People close to Trump maintain that the president is increasingly showing sympathy for the secretary of state; he praises him in private conversations, says that this former senator from Florida would have a chance to win the election and thinks that he looks good on TV. Trump often turns to him for advice. He is also now working with Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, on how to bring about regime change in Cuba.

– I think Marco will be the best secretary of state in history. This is my opinion. I'm a bit biased because I like him, the president said a few days ago.

Trump also praised 54-year-old Rubio – for example – in his State of the Union address delivered to Congress and during meetings with voters. – Do you like Marco? he told a crowd of his supporters in Kentucky on Wednesday. At the same time, the president does not criticize Vance or believes that he would not be able to win – emphasized the Wall Street Journal.

Rubio has been at the forefront of US actions in Venezuela and Iran. In turn, Vance became more of a background, NBC News emphasized. The war has put Vance – an Iraq War veteran who has long opposed the United States' involvement in foreign conflicts – in a situation that does not entirely suit his views, the television station noted.

Different views from Trump?

People close to Vance said that the vice president supported an attack on Iran, but was also afraid of a longer war.

On Monday, Trump told reporters that Vance is “philosophically a little bit different” from him when it comes to Iran. He added that the vice president “may have been less enthusiastic” about attacking the country. Rubio, however, is one of the main faces of this operation.

Both Vance and Rubio have criticized Trump in the past. Nevertheless, in 2024, both of them were taken into account by him when choosing the vice president. Ultimately, Vance won, among others. thanks to the support of Trump's son – Donald Trump Jr.

– The media wants to create conflict where there is simply no conflict – Vance recently assured on Fox News. He emphasized that Rubio is his closest friend in the administration.

Neither Vance nor Rubio have announced that they will seek the Republican nomination in the 2028 election. Rubio, however, announced that he will not fight 41-year-old Vance if he runs for president. According to an NBC News survey, 77 percent Republican voters have a positive view of Vance, with 66 percent – Rubio. Kalshi and Polymarket forecasts show that Vance is in the lead, but Rubio's chances of winning the Republican nomination have increased with the outbreak of the war in Iran – wrote “Newsweek”.

From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)

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