Following the sudden and unforgiving removal of Susie Wiles, Donald Trump retreated to Mar-a-Lago, the Florida club that has increasingly served as a bright escape from Washington’s political storms.
Last Friday night, Trump presented his newly appointed White House Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, to an enthusiastic audience of club members. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood nearby, smiling broadly.
When Miller finished speaking, he passed the microphone to Rubio, who delivered an enthusiastic defense of the administration as though Republicans had not just suffered a crushing defeat at the polls.
One notable figure was missing from the scene: Vice President JD Vance. Although Trump and Vance do not routinely travel together for security reasons, politically attuned observers quickly noticed his absence.
‘Rubio was there… no Vance,’ one Republican activist wrote in a text message to Our News Outlet.
The opening battle of the next Republican presidential race may not take place in Iowa or New Hampshire. Instead, it could be a competition for Miller’s influence, as the newly empowered ideological hardliner and longtime Trump loyalist becomes an increasingly important figure.
For now, Republican insiders remain divided over whether Rubio or Vance has the stronger position.
Several sources said Miller maintains solid relationships with both of Trump’s top deputies. But one former senior Trump White House official ultimately offered a clear assessment: ‘He is closer to Rubio.’
White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced strong support for President Donald Trump and his Iran war during speeches at Mar-a-Lago on Friday
Their immediate backing for the conflict after the midterm elections suggests they are standing by the president’s unpopular war, while figures including Vice President JD Vance have sought to put distance between themselves and the policy. Miller is pictured speaking at Mar-a-Lago on Friday (Source: @JoeyMannarinous/Instagram)
Vice President JD Vance identified the Iran war and the United States’ relationship with Israel as two major factors behind the Republicans’ decisive midterm defeat
‘They have worked closely on a number of issues — third-country deportations, Venezuela, visa revocations and more. They are friends.’
Other insiders believe Miller may be more closely connected to Vance. A source familiar with the White House described the two men as ‘very aligned ideologically.’
‘I’m not sure there are two people who understand our coalition and our base better than Miller and the VP,’ the source said.
Vance is widely viewed as the early favorite in the GOP’s search for a 2028 presidential nominee, with Rubio positioned close behind him.
Trump, for his part, has appeared to enjoy keeping potential successors uncertain. He has resisted offering an early endorsement that could quickly settle the speculation.
Miller’s promotion points to a renewed commitment to policies voters may have just rejected, including continuing the war in Iran, expanding deportations and pursuing the president’s political enemies.
The chief of staff has also developed a visible relationship with Vance, regularly appearing at fraud task force events and supporting the vice president’s policy priorities.
The two men are close in age and have similar family lives, both being in their forties and raising several young children. Miller, his wife Katie and their children attended a Halloween celebration at the vice president’s residence, where Usha Vance and her family also took part.
Miller, Vance and other younger staff members ‘all did the kid stuff together, so naturally that brings people together,’ the former senior Trump official said.
Katie Miller, who later launched her own podcast, interviewed Vance for its debut episode on August 11, 2025. Exactly a year later, she welcomed Rubio and his wife, Jeanette Rubio, as guests.
Rubio, however, has just lost his most influential ally within the White House. His relationship with Wiles began in Florida and developed over many years.
Trump announced Friday that Susie Wiles, his longest-serving White House chief of staff, would leave the administration and join the president’s political operation
Wiles, a veteran Florida political strategist, has known former Florida senator Rubio for years. Her departure from the White House has fueled questions about Rubio’s political prospects
Wiles is not disappearing from Trump’s political world. She is moving into the president’s political operation, placing her close to the organization that could help shape any 2028 endorsement — and preserving Rubio’s access to a trusted ally.
Wiles also appears to remember Rubio’s support after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reportedly forced her out of his administration following her management of his successful 2018 campaign.
Miller’s rise reinforces the impression that the White House intends to press ahead with an agenda critics say voters rejected: the Iran war, large-scale deportations and an aggressive campaign against the president’s adversaries.
‘It’s the war, stupid,’ a Trumpworld operative told Our News Outlet while discussing last week’s election, which has been dubbed the ‘Blue Tsunami.’
‘It was a total repudiation of the party and the president. If you had to identify one central cause, it was the war and the energy crisis that followed it.’
Vance made a similar argument in a lengthy post on X, attributing the Republican collapse to the Iran war and the country’s relationship with Israel.
That position represents a markedly different political strategy from Rubio, who is regarded as more hawkish than Vance and has spent much of the past decade warning about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Trump acknowledged the divide on Saturday evening, telling reporters: ‘A lot of people didn’t like his comments. But not me. He was right, other than one thing. He should have made one other statement. One statement that I think is very important. If you had it to do again? Would you do it again? The answer is yes.’
Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who sought the presidency during the 2024 cycle, is also considered an early contender as a potential non-Trumpian GOP candidate
Vance speaks at a White House task force event focused on eliminating fraud alongside Miller
Within a day of the election, a New York fundraiser reportedly began receiving calls from wealthy donors who said they could not support Vance in 2028 and would instead consider DeSantis, according to the Wall Street Journal.
DeSantis still carries the burden of his failed 2024 presidential campaign, when his effort to challenge Trump quickly lost momentum.
‘DeSantis is clearly very intelligent, but he simply lacks charisma at the national level,’ a veteran political operative told Our News Outlet.
‘He’s a bit of a dead fish. Unfortunately for Ron, no messaging strategy can fix that.’
Vance’s allies appear unconcerned by the possibility of another DeSantis campaign.
‘JD has always believed he would beat DeSantis easily,’ a source close to the vice president told Our News Outlet. ‘The real question now is whether he can win a general election, not whether he can survive a primary. He genuinely has not decided whether he will run.’
Our News Outlet contacted the governor’s office for comment.
For now, Vance, Rubio and every other potential contender remain officially outside the 2028 presidential race.
DeSantis challenged Trump in 2024 before withdrawing from the race. After quickly criticizing his party’s midterm losses, online speculation grew that the governor could be preparing another presidential bid for 2028
‘We’ve had Trump in the ecosystem for 10 years. That gives us a decade-long bench of MAGA figures we need to move beyond and replace with common-sense Republicans,’ a GOP strategist told Our News Outlet. ‘We’re going to have to rebuild that bench.’
Launching a campaign before Trump signals his preference could provoke his anger and damage a candidate’s prospects. Yet after last week’s results, the president’s endorsement may no longer carry the same value it once did.
‘Maybe I’m better off not getting involved,’ Trump said Sunday on 60 Minutes when asked whether he would endorse a candidate in 2028. ‘Probably. Not necessarily.’
He described Rubio as ‘great’ and said he was doing a ‘fantastic job,’ while adding that ‘there are many others’ and ‘some senators that are excellent.’
The comments appeared to leave both leading potential successors politically vulnerable.
Vance may be trying to distance himself from the conflict, but that shift might not satisfy younger conservative voters seeking an alternative to the president’s inner circle.
‘The American people delivered a clear message last week: they believe their representatives are too old and disconnected from the country,’ said Bradley Devlin of American Ascent, a nonprofit working to develop Republican talent ahead of 2028.
The organization launched Monday with a mission to recruit younger conservative candidates who can compete in the next election cycle and replace aging Republican officeholders.
‘It will be an uphill battle for Republicans from now through 2028,’ Devlin said.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, asked for a response, praised Vance, Miller and Rubio for ‘making America respected again on the world stage.’
Our News Outlet contacted the State Department for comment.
