Trump discusses 2028 successor: Axios names Vance and Rubio as top contenders
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump has begun more actively discussing with his advisers the question of a possible successor for the 2028 presidential election, Axios reports.
Who does Trump see among the candidates?
According to the publication, Trump increasingly raises the topic of who should head the list of candidates from the Republican Party in the presidential election in 2028.
He considers Vice President JD Vance and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio best candidates.
As noted, Trump prefers Vance. However, recently, he has also more often praised Rubio both publicly and in private conversations.
One of Trump's advisers, whom the president asked to share an opinion about candidates, called the Vance-Rubio a "dream ticket" for the 2028 election, where Vance should be the main candidate.
What is known about the positions of Vance and Rubio
JD Vance already has political advisers who, as expected, may become the basis of a presidential campaign in 2028.
At the same time, Marco Rubio does not have such infrastructure and, according to sources, made clear that Vance's candidacy suits him. It is reported that he personally spoke about this with the vice president.
Last year, Trump stated that Vance "most likely" is his probable successor, since he holds the position of vice president, while noting that he would like to see Rubio next to him on the ballot.
Sources also indicate that the transition of Rubio from current high positions to the position of vice president may be difficult. Some advisers suggest that active mentioning of Rubio by Trump may be an attempt to incline him to cooperate with Vance.
Has Trump decided on a successor?
Advisers note that Trump does not plan to fully determine a successor, since he wants his team to focus on current positions, so that it would not look like a loss of power by him.
Third term topic
The US Constitution prohibits being elected to the position of president more than twice. At the same time, some Trump supporters proposed changing the Constitution to allow a third term in case of nonconsecutive terms.
The media also reported that Trump is looking for possible ways to bypass the 22nd Amendment. He himself fueled these discussions, in particular by releasing caps with the inscription "Trump 2028", although he did not directly state his intention to run again.
What preceded
Recently, Trump again found himself at the center of political discussions because of the possibility of a third presidential term. Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon stated that Trump will be president in 2028 as well, which, according to him, will become third term.
Bannon stressed that society should accept such a prospect.
He said there were many different alternatives and that the plan would be made public at the right time, adding that the plan already exists and that chances in 2016 were lower than in 2024 and than in 2028, a former Trump adviser noted.
According to him, Trump will become president again because the country needs this.
As Politico writes, allies of the current president repeatedly expressed the idea about the possibility of a third term despite constitutional restrictions.
At the same time, possible ways to bypass this norm are also being discussed — in particular, through the repeal of the amendment or running for the position of vice president with subsequent transition to the position of president.
