Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha suggested that if Vice President JD Vance ultimately steps aside from the 2028 presidential race, it could open the door for Secretary of State Marco Rubio to become the Republican nominee with little opposition.
“Let’s say JD Vance says, ‘You know what, I got four young children, and maybe I want to spend time with them and not run for president this time around,’ I think Marco Rubio will go uncontested, basically, to the nomination,” Concha said on Fox News’s One Nation With Brian Kilmeade Sunday.
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“He’s smart, he’s confident, he’s funny, he loves [horror film series] Sharknado,” Concha continued. “And he married a Miami Dolphins cheerleader, which does not get enough credit.”
The comments come amid months of speculation over a potential Vance-Rubio rivalry for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination. Republican strategists have noted that while the two men’s interests could diverge down the road, they currently remain on the same team with shared political interests.
Rubio himself told Vanity Fair last year that if Vance runs for president, he would be one of the first people to support him.
At the Western Conservative Summit’s 2028 straw poll, Rubio topped Vance on a favorability question, 85% to 71%, with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) trailing at 55%.
His high-profile role during the Iran war also boosted his position in the early GOP jockeying, positioning him as a possible rival to Vance, who is still considered the early front-runner.
RUBIO CRUSHES VANCE IN WESTERN CONSERVATIVE SUMMIT 2028 STRAW POLL
Other polling has shown Vance with a more commanding advantage; a Rasmussen Reports survey found him consistently leading both Rubio and DeSantis in the 2028 race. President Donald Trump has praised both men without publicly signaling a preference, even as their differing styles on foreign policy have become more pronounced.
Neither Vance nor Rubio has launched a campaign for 2028, as the 2026 midterm elections are still ahead.
