JD Vance 'leapfrogged' by fellow Trump insider as Republicans begin early 2028 preparations
While Vance has been positioned as President Donald Trump 's understudy, there is a groundswell of support for Rubio among party activists and voters in early voting states.
CNN analyst Eric Bradner said Rubio, who has become a member of Trump's trusted inner circle, particularly polls well in Iowa, and said the former Florida senator is in with a shot at cultivating the support he needs to lead the MAGA movement in life after Trump.
'I was a little surprised during a recent visit to Iowa how frequently the name of Secretary of State Marco Rubio came up, often in the same breath as JD Vance,' he said.
'Both of them, despite their own very public criticism of Trump in the past, now seem to be viewed as team players; as closely aligned with Trump and with his current administration, obviously, as leading members of it.'
He added that, unlike Vance, Rubio has run for president before, so he has spent time campaigning on the ground in states where gaining early traction is crucial.
'A lot of people in the early voting states remember Rubio visiting them in 2016, when he finished third in Iowa in what were pretty competitive caucuses,' Bradner noted.
'A lot of these early-state Republican voters have met Rubio before.'
Vance, on the other hand, is still relatively new on the scene and may have more to prove.
'They like Vance, but they don't know him yet. They haven't had a chance to go through the usual process with him,' he said.
While Trump is personally entwined with the MAGA movement, the Constitution states he is unable to run for a third term.
This has not stopped him repeatedly suggesting since returning to office that he would like to serve again.
'I will say this – so many people want me to do it,' Trump revealed in May. 'I have never had requests so strong as that.'
'But it's something that, to the best of my knowledge, you're not allowed to do,' he conceded.
'I don't know if that's constitutional that they're not allowing you to do it or anything else. But, there are many people selling the 2028 hat.'
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