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7 most likely successors to Trump in 2028

10 43
25.05.2025

While President Trump says it’s too soon to back a successor for his party’s 2028 presidential nod, the jockeying and tea-leaf reading has begun in the search for the next GOP leader.

The president himself suggested Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are possible contenders.

Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., suggested this past week that he was keeping the door open to a possible run after his father leaves the White House, acknowledging “that calling is there.”

Some swing state governors have also made moves that stoked speculation of presidential ambitions this cycle.

Here are the seven most likely successors to Trump in 2028:

Vice President Vance

Talk of Vance as Trump’s heir apparent began as soon as the president named him his running mate last year.

The former Trump critic-turned-acolyte was already a leading messenger of Trump’s economic populism and international isolationism, and he has used the vice presidential bully pulpit as a megaphone for his spin on Trump’s “America First” agenda.

Trump has hinted that Vance could be his successor in 2028, but he has avoided an explicit endorsement.

“I think [Vance is] a fantastic, brilliant guy,” Trump said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” released earlier this month.

“Marco is great. There’s a lot of them that are great,” he continued. “I also see tremendous unity. But certainly you would say that somebody’s the VP, if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage.”

Vance has said he’s not taking anything for granted, telling NBC News in an interview this past week, “My attitude is, if I do end up running in 2028, I’m not entitled to it.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Trump has loaded up Rubio’s portfolio in his new........

© The Hill