That would be bad news for a second DeSantis campaign.
Is the 2028 Republican presidential race already over?
President Donald Trump[1] seems to think so, and says Marco Rubio might have an important role to play.
“We have JD (Vance) obviously — the Vice President is great. Marco’s great. I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two. I think if they formed a group it would be unstoppable,” the President said, according to POLITICO Playbook.
Trump didn’t shut the door on his own run either, which would challenge the 22nd Amendment’s[2] ban on serving more than two terms as President.
“I would love to do it — I have the best numbers ever! … Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me. All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they (the Democrats) don’t.”
Trump did say he wasn’t interested in running for Vice President though.
“I’d be allowed to do that,” Trump said. “But I wouldn’t do it. It’s too cute. I think the people wouldn’t like that. It wouldn’t be right.”
Polling[3] consistently has shown that Vance leads among Republicans expressing a preference for 2028, so it would seem that any “group” involving the two would have Rubio as a candidate for Vice President.
Rubio and Vance have previously addressed[4] Trump suggesting they would make a strong 2028 ticket. Trump said months ago that Vance is “probably the favorite” and that Rubio is “somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form.”
Neither have ruled out a run.
“If we do a good job, the politics will take care of itself, let’s just focus on that,” Vance said this Summer.
“I think he’s doing a great job as Vice President. He’s a close friend, and I hope he intends to do it,” Rubio said regarding a Vance run.
References
- ^ Donald Trump (donaldjtrump.com)
- ^ 22nd Amendment’s (constitutioncenter.org)
- ^ Polling (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ previously addressed (floridapolitics.com)