WASHINGTON — The president of the United States, Donald Trump, said this Wednesday that his two possible successors as presidential candidates of the Republican Party, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are “very good.”
The president was consulted on the issue after this month, both Rubio and Vance led press conferences at the White House, replacing spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who is currently on maternity leave.
“I think they both did great. I saw them both. They’re both very good. They really are,” responded Trump, who will not be able to run in the 2028 elections because by then he will have completed his second and final term.
What do the polls say?
Vance leads the polls to win the Republican presidential nomination, although in recent months Rubio has closed the gap, driven, among other issues, by the operation to capture Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
Trump has suggested on several occasions the possibility of both joining the Republican Party’s presidential ticket, although without specifying who would lead the candidacy.
The current vice president appeared at the White House press conference on Tuesday, but when asked about this issue, he lowered expectations of a presidential candidacy and assured that he is now focused on his work, which he likes “a lot.”
“I am vice president, I really like my job and I am going to do my best to do it as best as possible,” he assured a room full of journalists, where he defended the Government’s policies with Iran and Europe, among other issues.
Last week Vance had already avoided commenting on the possibility of forming a presidential duo with Rubio in the 2028 elections, as Trump himself has suggested.
“I love Marco very much. I think he is a great Secretary of State. He has become a very, very close friend. But we are both very focused on fulfilling the responsibilities that the American people have entrusted to us right now,” Vance said.
For his part, Rubio has assured that he will not seek the nomination if Vance does, although his press conference at the White House on May 5 sparked speculation about a possible candidacy.
In addition, he has starred in some viral moments on social media in recent weeks, such as when he wore the same sports clothing as Maduro on the day of his capture or when he was seen playing DJ at a wedding.
