Vice President JD Vance is the leading contender for the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nomination, according to a recent Yale Youth Poll. In the survey, Vance received 43% support among registered voters, placing him well ahead of Marco Rubio, who drew 17%
Vice President JD Vance is the leading contender for the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nomination
Vice President JD Vance is the leading contender for the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nomination, according to a recent Yale Youth Poll. In the survey, Vance received 43% support among registered voters, placing him well ahead of Marco Rubio, who drew 17%.
Donald Trump Jr. followed with 9%, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received 6%. All other potential candidates polled under 5%.
Vance’s support was strongest among voters aged 65 and older, where he earned 47%. He also held a sizable advantage among voters aged 45 to 64, leading Rubio by 31 percentage points in that group.
The poll also asked respondents which candidate they believed would be most likely to win a general election if nominated. On that measure, 83% of Republicans said Vance would win, compared to 77% for Rubio and 74% for DeSantis, Just the News reported, citing the survey results.
President Donald Trump has begun informally discussing with advisers who should lead the Republican Party in the 2028 presidential election, according to multiple people familiar with the conversations, Axios claimed in a late February report.
Trump has been posing a recurring question to confidants: whether Vance or Rubio would be the better standard-bearer for the GOP after his presidency, the outlet said.
Vance, whom Trump selected as his running mate, remains the president’s favored choice, according to
Vance, whom Trump selected as his running mate, remains the president’s favored choice, according to the sources. He also has a political infrastructure in place that could form the basis of a 2028 campaign. Rubio, by contrast, has not made similar preparations and has indicated he would support Vance if the vice president runs.
“But Trump has notably and increasingly praised Rubio, in public and private, for his rising profile as secretary of state and national security adviser,” said Axios.
In private discussions, Trump has contrasted the two men’s styles, describing Rubio as more diplomatic and Vance as more combative. Several advisers cautioned against interpreting Trump’s questions as diminishing his support for Vance.
“Vance-Rubio is the president’s dream ticket” for 2028 — “and to be clear, that’s Vance on top,” one Trump adviser told the outlet. “But would Trump be happy with a Rubio-Vance ticket? Absolutely.”
Trump’s comments come as Republican officials prepare for the 2026 midterm elections, and at a time when speculation about the party’s leadership after Trump is growing. Vance is expected to play a prominent role in the midterms as finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
Rubio’s current Cabinet roles have kept him in the national spotlight, which aides say could boost his profile relative to Vance, who draws less media attention despite his position as vice president.
Trump has not publicly endorsed a specific successor, and advisers said he continues to frame
Trump has not publicly endorsed a specific successor, and advisers said he continues to frame the discussions as informal.
But Rubio has publicly touted Vance. “If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio told Vanity Fair last year. One source said that Rubio has conveyed to Vance his thoughts on the matter – that is, his continued support for a Vance presidency. Both are good friends from their time together in the Senate and remain so, Axios reported.
Trump last year made clear that Vance is “most likely” his heir apparent because, “in all fairness, he’s the vice president.” He further noted that his preference is for Rubio to “get together with JD.”
Others told Axios that Trump isn’t keen to publicly endorse anyone yet because he wants them to remain focused on their jobs and he doesn’t want to appear as those he’s handing off power.
“Rubio’s twin responsibilities place him at the center of global affairs (as secretary of state) and the White House (as national security adviser),” said Axios. “The vice presidency, by contrast, has no clear portfolio.
“And that’s part of the problem for Rubio, according to those who know his thinking about 2028: It would be hard to go from his two high-impact jobs to vice president,” the outlet’s report continued.
