Overview
- Trump has not given a formal endorsement and has publicly teased a choice between Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, leaving the nomination wide open.
- The White House sent Vance to Switzerland to engage with Iranian negotiators, a high-visibility assignment that aides and allies say is being treated as a test of his readiness for top-tier leadership.
- Vance is using a new book and public policy moves to broaden his appeal beyond the MAGA base and build an independent profile for a possible 2028 bid.
- Rubio remains a senior foreign-policy adviser with deeper diplomatic experience and has said he will stay in his cabinet role and will not run if Vance chooses to run.
- Republican strategists say Trump’s eventual pick and whether Vance’s Iran talks are seen as a success or a liability will materially reshape the early 2028 field and influence primary voters.