Vice President JD Vance dismissed speculation of a possible 2028 Republican primary showdown with Marco Rubio, joking that President Donald Trump was simply relying on his reality TV instincts when discussing potential successors.
At a press conference on Wednesday (May 13), Vance dismissed the idea that Trump was seriously mounting a public contest to inherit the Republican mantle after his presidency.
“I just don’t think it sounds like the president of the United States to have a televised contest to succeed him as his apprentice,” Vance said.
“I just think it’s not at all what you would expect the president to do,” he added.
Trump’s ‘apprentice’ legacy resurfaces
Trump’s comments brought back memories of his years as host of the hit TV show The Apprentice, where contestants competed in business challenges to work in the Trump Organization.
The president has increasingly teased the idea of future Republican leadership by publicly mentioning Vance and Rubio as possible heirs to his political movement.
Vance suggested that Trump was mostly joking when he publicly mentioned the names.
“I think it’s natural that he’s going to joke with us a little bit, play around with the idea,” Vance said.
“But I can tell you that the president is as focused as any of us on doing as good a job now for the American people,” he added.
Vance calls Rubio a ‘very dear friend’
Despite growing speculation about a future rivalry, Vance emphasized his close relationship with Rubio and criticized the idea that senior administration officials would openly maneuver for future political advantage.
Vance described Rubio as a “very, very dear friend,” arguing that it would seem inappropriate for officials to begin “job hunting” so early in Trump’s second term.
Trump stokes succession speculation
The latest speculation intensified after Trump openly discussed possible Republican nominees during a White House event on May 12.
While Trump declined to endorse Vance or Rubio, he playfully encouraged his supporters to root for their preferred candidate.
“Who will it be? Will it be JD? Will it be somebody else? I don’t know,” Trump told attendees.
“Who likes JD Vance?” Trump asked as applause broke out.
“Who likes Marco Rubio?” he continued, before joking that the pair “sound like a good ticket”.
The “Dream Team” comment gets attention
Trump went further, calling a hypothetical Rubio-Vance alliance a “dream team,” though he quickly clarified that he wasn’t formally endorsing either.
“By the way, I believe it’s a dream team, but those are just minor details,” Trump said.
“That doesn’t mean you have my support under any circumstances,” he added.
