JD Vance or Marco Rubio in the 2028 White House race? News conference timing and Trump’s views

Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are both considered possible contenders 2028 Republican NominationEspecially since the two took on White House press briefing duties one after another.

The White House press room has become almost an unofficial audition stage in the tight race to succeed President Donald Trump in 2028.

Vance took to the podium in the press room on Tuesday, just two weeks before his likely presidential rival Marco Rubio.

Vance He worked hard to impress a briefing room packed with reporters, fielding questions for nearly an hour while filling the meeting’s minutes. White House Press secretary Carolyn Leavitt is on maternity leave.

Vance joked about understanding reporters’ seating arrangements.

He mostly answered reporters’ questions in a cautious manner, while President TrumpThe style is more direct and confrontational. Vance also seemed amused by the bustle in the press room and how reporters scrambled to get him to answer questions

“Marco is right, it’s chaos,” he quipped.

According to Reuters, Vance, in response to reporters’ questions, defended Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran and the creation of a new $1.7 billion slush fund to compensate allies of the U.S. president who believe they are being politically persecuted.

On Tuesday, one reporter even referred to Vance as a “potential future candidate,” to which he quickly responded, “I’m not a potential future candidate. I’m the vice president, I really enjoy my job, and I try to do it as well as I can.”

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Notably, Rubio’s performance on the White House podium even drew praise from Trump amid growing speculation about a 2028 presidential run.

Rubio also answered reporters at a news conference, with Republicans and some Democrats noting his “smooth performance.” The secretary of state shared quips with reporters and referenced ’90s hip-hop music to describe Iran’s negotiating position.

At a Rose Garden dinner last week, Trump polled guests on his likely successors. “Who likes J.D. Vance?” he asked. “Who likes Marco Rubio?”

According to Reuters, both of his questions were met with loud applause and almost identical applause. Trump said the two men would be a “perfect ticket” running together, but said it was too early to make a decision about them.

“That doesn’t mean you will have my approval under any circumstances,” he added.

On Wednesday, the day after Vance took the White House podium, reporters asked Trump: “Do you think Vice President Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio performed better at the press conference?”

Trump responded: “I think they both did a great job… I watched both of them. Both guys were very good – they were.”