Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that he would enthusiastically support Vice President JD Vance if Vance decides to seek the presidency in 2028, while emphasizing that his current focus remains on serving in President Donald Trump’s administration.
During an interview with NBC News, Rubio was asked whether he personally hopes to become president one day. In response, he stressed his commitment to his current role and praised Vance as a potential future nominee.
“I’m going to be in this job for the next two and a half years. I’m going to do that job. I’m going to finish the job for this president. I’m enjoying it very much. I think we’re going to make a lot of good things happen. JD is a very good friend of mine. If JD runs for president. I think he’d be a phenomenal candidate. I’ve said publicly, and I’ll say it again, I’ll be the first person to sign up and support him. I think JD would do great.”
When asked whether he would consider serving as vice president, Rubio again downplayed any immediate political ambitions beyond his current position.
“I want to be the secretary of state, and I’ll worry about the future in the future. I’m not telling you that that’s what I’m aiming for. You know, I’ve been doing this for a long time, too. I was in the Senate starting in 2010 so I’d like to do some other things with my life at some point, although public service is an honor to be able to be involved in.”
Rubio’s comments come as Vance continues to perform strongly in early Republican polling for the 2028 presidential race. Rubio has also consistently appeared among the top names in hypothetical GOP primary matchups.
A Harvard/Harris poll conducted April 23–26, 2026, among 2,745 registered voters showed Vance leading the Republican field with 48% support. Donald Trump Jr. followed at 18%, Rubio received 16%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had 9%, and Tucker Carlson drew 4%.
The same survey showed Kamala Harris leading the Democratic field with 50% support, ahead of California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 22%, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro at 9%, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 8%, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at 6%. The poll carried a margin of error of plus or minus 1.87%, and found that 67% of respondents had given at least some thought to the next presidential election.
Another poll conducted May 1–5, 2026, among 3,612 American adults also showed Vance and Harris leading their respective primary fields. In that survey, Vance led Republicans with 40% support, followed by Donald Trump Jr. at 15% and Rubio at 14%, while the remaining Republican contenders remained in single digits.
Among Democrats in that same survey, Harris received 38% support, followed by Newsom at 16%, while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg each received 9%.
A separate AtlasIntel survey conducted May 4–7 among 2,069 U.S. adults presented a different picture of the Democratic race. That poll showed Ocasio-Cortez leading the field with 26% support, followed by Buttigieg at 22.4% and Newsom at 21.2%.
In the AtlasIntel survey, Harris finished in fourth place with 12.9% support, while all other potential Democratic candidates registered single-digit support levels.
{Matzav.com}