President Donald Trump on Monday praised Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a potential “dream team” for the 2028 presidential election during a White House event honoring law enforcement leaders.
Speaking during a dinner in the Rose Garden for National Police Week, Trump asked attendees who they would rather see on a future Republican ticket. The president first asked the crowd, “Who likes JD Vance?” before asking, “Who likes Marco Rubio?” Both names received loud applause from attendees.
“Sounds like a good ticket,” Trump said. “That was a perfect ticket. By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team, but these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance.”
Trump added that the pairing “sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate.”
Trump’s comments immediately fueled new discussion inside Republican circles over who could emerge as the GOP standard-bearer after he leaves office.
Political observers have spent months debating whether Trump would eventually back Vance, Rubio, or another Republican figure for 2028.
Despite the praise for both men, Trump stopped short of formally endorsing either official.
Vance currently appears to have a stronger position among Republican voters. According to a RealClearPolitics polling average cited in reports, the vice president polls roughly 30 points ahead of Rubio in early 2028 preference surveys.
The vice president has remained active on the campaign trail in recent weeks. Last week, Vance traveled to Iowa to campaign for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA).
Rubio has also received growing attention within conservative circles. Last week, he briefly stepped into the White House briefing room to fill in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt while she was on maternity leave. Rubio also traveled to Rome for a high-profile meeting with Pope Leo XIV.
Many conservatives praised Rubio’s recent public appearances and urged him to consider a White House run of his own.
Rubio previously sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 before suspending his campaign after losing to Trump in the primary race. He later returned to the Senate before joining Trump’s second administration as secretary of state.
Vance, meanwhile, was serving his first term in the Senate before Trump selected him as his running mate.
Neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly announced plans to run for president in 2028. Both men have said they remain focused on the administration’s agenda.
Still, Rubio hinted at his support for Vance in an interview with Vanity Fair last year. Rubio said he would be “one of the first people to support” Vance if the vice president eventually launched a White House bid.
Republican strategist Brian Seitchik said Trump’s public questioning fits the president’s political style.
“It’s very Trump to constantly do a pulse check on how folks feel about Marco versus Vance,” Seitchik previously said. “The president is always evaluating and comparing.”
Trump has continued praising both administration officials in recent months. In March, the president said Rubio was doing “a great job” and predicted he could become “the greatest secretary of State in history.”