Vice President JD Vance remains the top choice among Republicans for the 2028 presidential nomination, according to a new poll, though recent developments suggest Secretary of State Marco Rubio may be gaining traction within President Trump’s inner circle.
A poll of 952 Republicans and 225 Republican-leaning independents across the country presented voters with 15 conservative political figures and asked them to select their preferred candidate for 2028. Vance secured 36% support, nearly double the 19% received by Donald Trump Jr., who placed second.
Poll Results Show Vance’s Commanding Lead
An additional 14% of respondents said they were undecided, meaning 70% of all participants expressed a preference or remained uncertain about the race. Secretary of State Marco Rubio finished third with 9% support and emerged as the second most popular choice among independent voters.
Both Vance and Trump Jr. have lost ground since an October Voters’ Voice Poll, according to the data. Rubio, meanwhile, has gained support over the same period.
Behind-the-Scenes Dynamics At Mar-a-Lago
President Trump recently solicited opinions about Vance and Rubio from a group of donors at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “What do you think of JD Vance and Marco Rubio?” Trump asked the group, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Donors applauded loudly for Rubio, with sources telling the Wall Street Journal that the response to the secretary of state was notably stronger than the reaction to Vance. The informal gathering occurred one day after Trump publicly highlighted differences in the two men’s approaches to foreign policy and diplomacy.
During a Florida press conference, Trump noted that Vance had been “less enthusiastic” about military confrontation with Iran. “He gets a little bit tough on occasion; we gotta slow him down on occasion,” Trump said about his vice president.
Trump then contrasted Vance’s style with Rubio’s approach. “Then we have the opposite extreme,” Trump said. “Marco does it with a velvet glove. But it’s a kill.”
Separate Survey Shows Vance’s Influence Among Voters
A Daily Mail and JL Partners poll conducted March 2-3 measured voter perceptions of who holds the most influence in Trump’s administration. Vance led that survey with 19% of respondents, while Rubio received 12%.
Stephen Miller and Donald Trump Jr. tied for third place in the influence ranking. The survey included 1,020 registered voters and carried a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
The same poll found Rubio’s approval rating declined from 40% in February to 36% by March 7. Thirty-four percent of respondents disapproved of the secretary of state, while 17% remained neutral.
Both Deny Any Rivalry
Vance and Rubio have both rejected suggestions that they are competitors or rivals within the administration. During a February interview with Fox News, Vance called Rubio “my closest friend in the administration.”
“I think it’s so interesting the media wants to create this conflict where there just isn’t any conflict,” Vance said. Rubio has similarly downplayed speculation about a potential 2028 matchup.
In an interview with Vanity Fair last year, Rubio stated that if Vance decides to run for president in 2028, he would support him. “If he runs for president in 2028, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio said.
This story has been updated. CNN’s Political team contributed to this report.
