While President Trump says it’s too soon to back a successor for his party’s 2028 presidential nod, the jockeying and tea-leaf reading has begun in the search for the next GOP leader.
The president himself suggested Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are possible contenders.
Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., suggested this past week that he was keeping the door open to a possible run after his father leaves the White House, acknowledging “that calling is there.”
Some swing state governors have also made moves that stoked speculation of presidential ambitions this cycle.
Here are the seven most likely successors to Trump in 2028:
Vice President Vance
Talk of Vance as Trump’s heir apparent began as soon as the president named him his running mate last year.
The former Trump critic-turned-acolyte was already a leading messenger of Trump’s economic populism and international isolationism, and he has used the vice presidential bully pulpit as a megaphone for his spin on Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Trump has hinted that Vance could be his successor in 2028, but he has avoided an explicit endorsement.
“I think [Vance is] a fantastic, brilliant guy,” Trump said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” released earlier this month.
“Marco is great. There’s a lot of them that are great,” he continued. “I also see tremendous unity. But certainly you would say that somebody’s the VP, if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage.”
Vance has said he’s not taking anything for granted, telling NBC News in an interview this past week, “My attitude is, if I do end up running in 2028, I’m not entitled to it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Trump has loaded up Rubio’s portfolio in his new administration, most recently making him the only person other than Henry Kissinger to serve as secretary of State and national security adviser at the same time.
The expanding influence in the White House has increased speculation about what comes next for the previous presidential candidate, who was reportedly on Trump’s shortlist for potential running mates in 2024.
But MAGA World sees Rubio as insufficiently committed to the cause, and his past rivalry with Trump still looms.
Trump and Rubio ran against each other in the 2016 GOP primary, with the president calling Rubio a “perfect little puppet,” “kid” and “Little Marco,” while Rubio described the businessman as “touchy and insecure.”
Their relationship has evolved much since then. Rubio endorsed Trump over fellow Floridian Gov. Ron DeSantis right before the Iowa caucuses, a key move in his path to the Cabinet.
Donald Trump Jr.
Trump’s eldest son stoked speculation this past week that he might have presidential ambitions while speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum.
“I don’t know. Maybe one day. You know, that calling is there,” Trump Jr. said at one point after the moderator asked if he would be interested in picking up the reins and running after his father steps down.
“Maybe. You never know,” Trump Jr. said later, when pressed again if his answer was “maybe.”
Trump Jr., like his father, would enter the Republican race with no experience in elected office, though he has years of experience as a prominent figure in Trump’s political movement.
Things could get awkward between Trump Jr. and Vance, who have been close political allies, if they end up competing for the crown.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
The GOP primary between Trump and DeSantis got nasty and personal, but the president was quick to forgive his one-time rival after Florida’s governor dropped out and endorsed Trump.
While some Republicans see the Florida governor as a potential president, the 2024 primary still presents a significant hurdle if he wants Trump’s backing.
Both men have taken steps to shore up their relationship, with DeSantis taking proactive steps to align the state with Trump’s immigration priorities.
DeSantis was even at one point reportedly being considered for Defense secretary when Pete Hegseth’s path through the Senate was looking unlikely.
Other potential hurdles to a 2028 comeback for DeSantis: feuding with the Florida state Legislature and growing scrutiny over the Hope Florida Foundation, the charity arm of a welfare program tied to Florida first lady Casey DeSantis.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin
Glenn Youngkin, who is term-limited as Virginia’s governor, was seen as offering a playbook for Republicans to win in blue-leaning states after his 2021 election, delicately keeping Trump at arm’s length during his campaign.
Youngkin opted against seeking the presidency in 2024 after flirting with the idea, avoiding getting in the crosshairs of Trump. But he could run in 2028.
The Virginia governor in an interview with The New York Times last month stirred speculation by keeping the door open.
“I have said many times that I do believe that folks that worry about their next job before they’ve finished their current one have their priorities misplaced,” he told the Times. “My job is to continue to serve Virginians the best I can all the way up and through the last day I’m in office, and I’m committed to do that.”
Youngkin has butted heads with Democrats who wield power in Virginia’s Legislature, and he failed to win a trifecta that would have allowed him to advance more of his conservative agenda.
During the 2023 election, Youngkin and Virginia’s GOP tried to go on offense on abortion by suggesting a statewide 15-week limit. Democrats won full control of the state Legislature.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
Kristi Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, has been one of Trump’s most ardent defenders and was also floated as a potential running mate for him last cycle.
An anecdote included in a then-forthcoming book — about shooting her wirehaired pointer Cricket for behaving badly during a pheasant hunt — largely extinguished those prospects.
Trump still tapped her as a key Cabinet official, making her a face of his immigration policy as the head of the Department of Homeland Security.
She’s defended the administration’s handling of the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, and she has sought to bar Harvard University from being able to have international students enroll in the university.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
Brian Kemp stoked speculation earlier this month that he might have his eyes on the White House in 2028 after he declined to run against Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) for Senate next year, despite intense recruitment efforts from the party.
Kemp notably didn’t vote for Trump in the GOP primary, telling CNN last year that “the race was already over when the primary got here.” Trump reportedly badmouthed Kemp, a very popular figure in a key swing state, following a fundraiser.
The two managed to patch things up before the November election, offering supportive remarks to one another on Fox News and Truth Social, and Kemp participated in a fundraiser for Trump.
Like Youngkin, Kemp’s business bona fides and success in a swing state would also make him attractive to members of the party. But his cool relationship with Trump makes him an unlikely favorite for the MAGA wing.
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