Vice President JD Vance has responded to online speculation that there may be tension between himself and Secretary of State Marco Rubio going into the 2028 presidential election.
During an interview on “Pod Force One” with host Mirana Divine, Vance called Rubio one of his “best friends” and said there will not be any tension between them given they are both likely eyeing 2028 presidential runs.
“The present doesn’t mention who will be go running for president who vice la is. Seems, it would be you that Marco Rubio muse three he’s run for president before. Would there be any tension there?” Devine asked.
“There’s not any tension. Marcos is my best friend in administration. He and I work a lot together and we really do, I think, a lot of the good work in this administration because we’re all able to work together in any in this is why I say worrying too much about the politics actually makes you worse at the job you have. In two days, the headlines will be something else,” Vance responded.
“I never want to wake up and stuff. I’ve never woken up in thought to myself. How I make myself United States. Would I wake up at think to myself is how do I do a good job, as vice president hiding Marco Rubio ask himself: how do I do a good job of secretary of state, and that should be the question. Each of us keeps on ask ourselves,” Vance added.
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President Donald Trump said this week that both Vance and Rubio are “fantastic,” but he did not say whether he would support either of them to lead the Republican presidential ticket in the 2028 election.
“That’s something I don’t have to worry about now. I’ve got 3 years to go. JD’s fantastic — and Marco. They’re both fantastic. I think Marco did a great job in Munich,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Vance emerged as the leading choice for the Republican presidential nomination in a straw poll conducted at the National Pro-Life Summit, organizers said.
Pro-life advocacy groups held the poll at the summit, asking attendees to identify their preferred Republican candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Vance received the highest share of support among participants, followed by other potential GOP contenders.
Organizers said the results reflect preferences among grassroots pro-life activists and youth voters who attended the event, where abortion policy was cited as a top issue for respondents. Nearly half of attendees ranked abortion as their single most important voting issue, with a significant majority listing it among their top two priorities.
“The dedicated grassroots of GOP activists—pro-life, youth voters—pick Vice President JD Vance as their top GOP presidential contender and flag CA Gov. Gavin Newsom as the possible leader of the Democratic Party,” said Students for Life Action President Kristan Hawkins in a statement, the Times noted. “Legislators take note: the campaign season has begun.”
While the straw poll is nonbinding, participants and organizers described it as an early indicator of priorities within the pro-life segment of the Republican Party as the 2028 campaign cycle begins to take shape.
Other potential Republican candidates received support in the poll, including figures such as lorida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, though specific rankings were not released by organizers.
The poll also included a separate question on likely Democratic contenders, in which respondents named California Governor Gavin Newsom as the anticipated Democratic nominee over former Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
The results come as political interest in the 2028 presidential contest grows, with many potential candidates already testing support ahead of formal campaign announcements.