Marco Rubio Says He’ll Be First to Back JD Vance in 2028

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an NBC News interview that he would be the first person to support Vice President JD Vance if Vance runs for president in 2028, while also saying he intends to remain focused on his current role in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Rubio made the comments when asked whether he would want to be president. He said:

I’m going to be in this job for the next two and a half years. I’m going to do that job. I’m going to finish the job for this president. I’m enjoying it very much. I think we’re going to make a lot of good things happen. JD is a very good friend of mine. If JD runs for president. I think he’d be a phenomenal candidate. I’ve said publicly, and I’ll say it again, I’ll be the first person to sign up and support him. I think JD would do great.

Asked whether he would want to be vice president, Rubio replied, “I want to be the secretary of state, and I’ll worry about the future in the future. I’m not telling you that that’s what I’m aiming for. You know, I’ve been doing this for a long time, too. I was in the Senate starting in 2010 so I’d like to do some other things with my life at some point, although public service is an honor to be able to be involved in.”

Rubio’s comments come as Vance continues to lead or perform strongly in early 2028 Republican primary polling, while Rubio has also appeared among the top names in hypothetical GOP fields.

A Harvard/Harris survey taken April 23-26, 2026, among 2,745 registered voters, found Vance and Harris leading their respective 2028 primary fields. Vance led Republicans with 48 percent support, followed by Donald Trump Jr. at 18 percent, Rubio at 16 percent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at nine percent, and Tucker Carlson at four percent. Harris led Democrats with 50 percent support, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom at 22 percent, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro at nine percent, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at eight percent, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at six percent. The poll had a +/- 1.87 percent margin of error and found 67 percent had given at least “some” thought to the next presidential election.

Another survey, taken May 1-5, 2026, among 3,612 U.S. adults, also showed Vance and Harris leading their respective hypothetical primary fields. Vance led Republicans with 40 percent support, followed by Donald Trump Jr. at 15 percent and Rubio at 14 percent, while other listed Republicans were in single digits. Harris led Democrats with 38 percent, followed by Newsom at 16 percent, with Ocasio-Cortez and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tied at nine percent.

A separate AtlasIntel poll taken May 4-7 among 2,069 U.S. adults, with a +/- 2 percent margin of error, showed a different picture of the potential Democrat field. In that poll, Ocasio-Cortez led with 26 percent support, followed by Buttigieg at 22.4 percent and Newsom at 21.2 percent. Harris placed fourth with 12.9 percent, while the other potential candidates were in single digits.