Republicans still seem unable to move on from Marco Rubio — even as he repeatedly says he has “no plans” to launch a presidential campaign.
The secretary of state was more than 2,000 miles away in Ecuador on Wednesday, and he has already made clear he would not challenge JD Vance for the Republican nomination in 2028.
Still, just hours before the vice president was set to address the crowd in Dallas on Thursday, several attendees said Rubio would be their preferred presidential pick — if he were willing to run.
Missy Walker, one convention attendee, said she was especially eager to hear Vance speak, though she admitted she would probably tilt toward Rubio in a hypothetical matchup.
“You know, they’re both great, I might lean a little bit more toward Rubio. Gosh, he’s so good,” Walker said.
“He doesn’t get rattled, he doesn’t get flustered. Neither does JD, but I just think sometimes Marco is just… I don’t know.”
Michael Caffey of Rockwall, Texas, was more emphatic in his praise.
“I like both a lot but I think Rubio would be a great choice. Vance would be great too, but I really like Rubio,” he said, pointing in particular to a recent United Nations speech by the secretary of state that left a strong impression on him.
While Vice President JD Vance is preparing to take the stage in Dallas, several convention-goers said they would choose Rubio if they had to pick the Republican they want to see in the White House in 2028
‘JD Vance is running to make sure that we win the midterm elections. I like that,’ former Georgia Representative Vernon Jones told Our News Outlet
For attendees at the GOP midterm convention, Cruz was their top contender for president
Fred Farrin of Missouri also picked Rubio ‘if I had to choose.’
Lisa Stone went further, saying she wants Rubio at the top of the ticket with Vance beneath him.
Jeannie Elliott didn’t much care about the order. ‘Whichever one, the other is hopefully going to be vice president,’ she said.
The enthusiasm runs well ahead of the numbers.
A Financial Times/Focaldata poll conducted last week found 43 percent of Republicans backing Vance for the 2028 nomination. Rubio drew 21 percent.
Rubio has privately told at least one person in recent months that he has no plans to run, NBC News reported.
But that same person, familiar with his thinking, said the secretary of state is ‘keeping his options open for the future.’
He tried to shut the talk down himself on Tuesday.
‘I don’t know what the future holds, but I have no plans at this time,’ Rubio told Colombian broadcaster RCN. ‘I’m not a candidate for anything right now. And I’m 100 percent focused on my job, and I have to be because I have two jobs.’
Not every Republican in Dallas wanted him on the stage. Former Georgia Rep. Vernon Jones said Rubio’s absence was exactly right.
‘I don’t want him here. He’s the Secretary of State. He’s handling American business around the globe,’ Jones said. ‘JD Vance is running to make sure that we win the midterm elections. I like that.’
Attendees queued for hours outside the American Airlines Center on day one, most of them there for the president.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds also spoke.
Erika Kirk was in the crowd alongside Trump administration officials and Republican members of Congress.
Trump gave Vance a brief shout-out during his convention speech on Wednesday, complimenting Vance for identifying billions of dollars in fraud.
