Trump identified Vice President JD Vance as a leading contender, suggesting him and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a possible future Republican ticket.

“Well, I think most likely,” Trump told reporters when asked whether Vance was MAGA’s “heir apparent”.

The secretary of state didn’t rule out his own presidential run, saying, “you never know what the future holds.”

Trump has declined in the past to offer any endorsement for a 2028 successor.

He said in February that Vance was “very capable” but that it was too early to name him as the leading candidate.

As reported by CNN, Vance’s role as a prominent diplomat and key representative for Trump’s foreign policy marks multiple indications that the 40-year-old former Marine and Ohio senator has secured a significant position in the second Trump administration.

Rubio, who previously served as a Florida senator, has also gained considerable sway within the administration, becoming the first individual since Henry Kissinger to hold the positions of both secretary of state and national security adviser.

Though they competed for the VP job, Rubio and Vance have since forged a close working relationship.

“Marco is incredibly competent and reliable, and he’s also one of my closest friends in the administration,” Vance told CNN last month.