Former US President Donald Trump said in a podcast interview aired on June 3, 2026, that a presidential ticket featuring Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be "very hard to beat" or "unbeatable" in the 2028 US presidential race [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Trump praised their personal chemistry, saying, "I watch them together, they get along great" and called their partnership an "interesting, human equation" [1].
Both JD Vance, age 41, and Marco Rubio, 54 or 55, are seen as leading contenders for the Republican nomination in the 2028 presidential election [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. However, neither has formally announced a candidacy and both have publicly downplayed their presidential ambitions so far [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Rubio has called Vance a friend and stated he will not run if Vance enters the race [5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10].
Vance and Rubio have often appeared together at White House briefings to defend the Trump administration on key issues including the unpopular Iran war [1, 2, 3, 4]. Rubio’s recent White House press appearances gained bipartisan praise for his calm delivery and for referencing 1990s hip-hop to describe Iran’s negotiating stance [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10]. Recent polls show they have roughly equal levels of support among Republican voters [5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
As of June 3, no candidate from either party has officially entered the 2028 presidential race, although maneuvering is ongoing on both sides of the aisle [1, 2, 3, 4]. On the Democratic side, former Vice President Kamala Harris indicated in April she might run in 2028 [4].
Trump’s endorsement of a Vance-Rubio 2028 ticket marks a notable intervention in the early stages of the race. The former president’s comments highlight the potential of a joint campaign featuring two prominent Republican figures.
The next significant developments in the 2028 election campaign are expected as candidates begin formal announcements and primary contests approach.
