Overview
- Trump insiders in new reporting describe Marco Rubio as a serious possibility for the 2028 Republican nomination.
- Focus groups of Trump voters have begun voicing “strange new respect” for Rubio, and a CPAC straw poll shows his support rising to 35% in 2026 from 3% in 2025.
- He serves as secretary of state and national security adviser, a dual role that has kept him central to foreign crises without the constant turmoil seen around some other officials.
- Supporters credit his role in the ouster of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and his push to dismantle USAID, the U.S. foreign-aid agency, which appeals to parts of the MAGA base.
- Rubio says he would not challenge Vice President J.D. Vance, and the case for his rise rests on insider accounts and limited voter soundings rather than broad, verified polling.