Trump’s closest confidantes see Marco Rubio as top potential 2028 pick: Report

WASHINGTON, DC: Many of President Donald Trump's closest confidantes have now begun to see Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a top potential pick for the 2028 White House race. 

A Politico report noted that the 54-year-old has emerged as a serious 2028 contender, which is “an acknowledgement of the Floridian’s savvy handling of foreign conflicts and his ability to avoid political land mines.”

Trump confidantes say Marco Rubio is now 'one of MAGA’s staunchest allies and advocates'

Once seen as too hawkish, Rubio's handling of the Venezuela raid that saw the successful capture of Nicolas Maduro and his unwavering loyalty to Trump have positioned him as a favorite in the West Wing as well as among some MAGA voters.

As per Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, “JD Vance is a fantastic vice president, and Marco Rubio is a great secretary of state. [Rubio] could have gone one of two routes after the 2016 campaign. He could have gone the route of John Kasich and begin to suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome and fade into the abyss,” referring to 2016 when the former governor of Ohio ran against Trump and endorsed Joe Biden in 2020.

But Rubio “chose the route of embracing MAGA and becoming one of MAGA’s staunchest allies and advocates,” Bruesewitz added.

Marco Rubio praised for doing an 'incredible job' serving joint roles

One senior White House official described Rubio as “loyal, wicked smart, articulate, and very seasoned,” before calling him “a winner.”

Also, since the 54-year-old politician has been handling two very important posts — secretary of state and acting national security advisor — “he’s had a lot of access and face time with the president — and with MAGA. That has been huge for him,” said Sean Spicer, who served as White House press secretary during Trump’s first term.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly did not directly favor Rubio but stated that he’s “doing an incredible job serving joint roles as national security advisor and secretary of state. His dual responsibilities help him better understand the president’s priorities and execute them across our foreign policy apparatus.”

Marco Rubio carries 'a bit of Trump/MAGA twang very well'

Vice President JD Vance is another top potential candidate for the 2028 election and is believed to be one of Trump’s favorites. Even Rubio has reportedly claimed he will support Vance if he decides to run.

But a Midwest Republican operative familiar with the Vance team, who has become more of a Rubio fan over time, said, “Trump can actually soften them up on anything. There’s no reason why an increasingly popular Secretary of State couldn’t be elevated to the top spot if Trump endorsed him.”

Besides, as per a GOP operative close to the White House, Rubio “marries normalcy, common sense, with a bit of Trump/MAGA twang very well. He’s able to rationalize to those who may be angry. He’s at least the best at making it make sense. He’s just a very smooth spox for POTUS.”