Trump Praises JD Vance and Marco Rubio as 2028 Republican Ticket at Rose Garden Dinner

President Donald Trump publicly floated a potential 2028 Republican ticket featuring Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a Rose Garden dinner for law enforcement, asking, “Who likes JD Vance?” and then “Who likes Marco Rubio?”

Trump told attendees, “Sounds like a good ticket,” and later said, “By the way, I do believe that's a dream team, but these are minor details,” while adding, “That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance.”

Al-Jazeera Net

Vance brushed off the idea of a televised contest over succession, saying, “I just don’t think it sounds like the president of the United States to have a televised competition for who would succeed him as his apprentice.”

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday (May 13), Vance also argued that Trump was “as focused as any of us on making sure we do as good of a job now for the American people,” even as the speculation revived memories of Trump’s reality show The Apprentice.

The National Desk framed the moment as part of an “invisible primary,” describing how potential candidates build national profiles and court support ahead of a possible run.

Vance told CNN that Trump’s public comparisons did not reflect his own focus, saying, “I love Marco. I think he’s a great secretary of state. He’s become a very, very dear friend.”

When pressed by CNN on why Trump seems to enjoy pitting him and Rubio against each other, Vance deadpanned, “Well, I just don’t think it sounds like the president of the United States to have a televised competition for who would succeed him as his apprentice,”

CNN

CNN reported that Vance used the White House campus for an event on fraud, announcing new efforts to combat fraud in federal healthcare programs, including one targeting California.

The same CNN account said Vance compared himself to the kid in “Home Alone,” telling reporters, “On days – today – I sometimes feel like Macaulay Culkin in ‘Home Alone.’”

In a separate account, Fox News said Vance emphasized that both he and Rubio were “very much focused on accomplishing the American people's business right now,” after Trump floated the pairing as a potential ticket.

As speculation builds, a poll described by Colorado Politics found that on the Republican side respondents favored Rubio over Vance by 45.4% to 29.6%, with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in third place.

“AOC and Rubio lead party primaries in 2028: Poll A new poll of adults in the United States found that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep”

Colorado Politics

The same poll said Atlas Polls surveyed more than 2,000 Americans in early May and that only former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama held net-positive public images at 52% and 51% favorable.

CNN reported that Vance’s anti-fraud push included appearing alongside Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, as he took questions on Iran and cracked jokes while addressing the task force combatting fraud.

In the Mint account of Vance’s remarks, he criticized the idea of senior administration officials “angling for a job” so early in Trump’s second term while describing Rubio as “a very, very dear friend.”

The National Desk added that neither man has formally entered the 2028 race, but it described Rubio and Vance as positioning themselves as the “invisible primary” unfolds.