GOP circles see Rubio gaining ground on Vance with Trump |
GOP circles see Rubio gaining ground on Vance with Trump
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is gaining traction inside Republican circles amid growing chatter about who could emerge as the leading contender in the 2028 presidential race.
A poll out this week showed him outperforming Vice President Vance in a 2028 potential match-up.
A week earlier, Rubio delivered a well-received appearance at the White House briefing, showing he could handle a barrage of questions from the press corps, including about the war in Iran.
And there’s growing interest from President Trump himself about how Rubio and Vance are perceived inside the party.
Rubio has shown increasing comfort with the performative side of Trump-era politics — something allies say has helped him connect more organically with the president’s base.
On Tuesday, White House officials circulated photos of Rubio aboard Air Force One en route to China, wearing the same gray Nike tracksuit that became associated with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s capture earlier this year.
“Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ on Air Force One!” Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, wrote on the social platform X.
In the early jockeying with Vance, several Republicans said the signs increasingly point to Rubio having the edge — or at the very least winning the early conversation — and appearing to have Trump’s attention.
“Right now, it seems like Trump prefers Rubio, and that’s what his followers believe,” said Susan Del Percio, a veteran Republican strategist who does not support the president.........