White House insiders see Rubio on the rise as a potential 2028 pick

A once-long shot candidate, Rubio's record has won him admirers in the White House and among the MAGA base.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio boards Air Force One on March 20, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. | Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

Some of President Donald Trump’s closest confidantes increasingly see Marco Rubio as a serious 2028 contender — an acknowledgement of the Floridian’s savvy handling of foreign conflicts and his ability to avoid political land mines.

It’s a striking turnaround for a politician once dismissed as too hawkish, too establishment and too scarred by a failed 2016 presidential campaign to matter in a post-Trump GOP. But his work on deposing Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and his steadfast loyalty to Trump have boosted him in the West Wing – and among some MAGA voters.

Rubio has said he would not challenge Vance for the nomination and it remains to be seen whether his conversion to MAGA politics could win a majority of Trump’s base if he did run. For now, his growing number of admirers in the president’s inner circle describe Rubio’s belated embrace to Trumpism as a selling point. Trump loves the zeal of a convert and it’s a welcome contrast to some old-school Republican elites who shunned the party or avoided Washington rather than reconcile with the president.

© Politico