Secretary of State Marco Rubio has seen a surge in support within President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, prompting the emergence of a 'Draft Rubio' campaign for the 2028 presidential election, according to a report. The former senator has been a key figure in the administration's operations against Venezuela and Iran, and has taken on additional roles as acting national security adviser and acting director of USAID.
Rubio's loyalty has not gone unnoticed by Trump, who has reportedly asked donors whether they prefer him to Vice President JD Vance, long considered the frontrunner to succeed Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported last summer that Trump would play the two off against each other, asking, 'Which one of you is going to be at the top of the ticket?'
However, a senior Republican strategist cautioned that donors do not pick the nominee, and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed talk of rivalry, stating that 'no amount of crazed media speculation' would deter the administration's mission. Rubio has publicly pledged support for Vance should he run, telling Vanity Fair last year that Vance would be the nominee.
Recent polls show mixed public sentiment: an Ipsos poll found only 29% support for the Iran operation, while an NBC News poll indicated 49% of voters dislike Vance and 41% oppose Rubio. Real Clear Polling gives Rubio an 18.8% chance of winning the 2028 election, ahead of Gavin Newsom (18.5%) and Vance (17.3%), though Vance leads in Republican primary odds.
