Donald Trump is floating J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio as a potential "unstoppable" 2028 ticket. The discussion delves into constitutional "loopholes" in term limits, like the 12th and 22nd Amendments, and the Presidential Succession Act, allowing a twice-elected president to potentially return. The episode also touches on the Republican Party's allegiance to Trump and his combative communication style.
Donald Trump floats two potential successors
Read original at Newsweek →President Donald Trump floated two potential candidates to be his successor in 2028 on Monday morning after ruling himself out as vice president.Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Japan, the president suggested that Vice President JD Vance could run for the Republican nomination, as could Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“I’m not sure if anybody would run against those two," Trump said. "I think if they formed a group it would be unstoppable."Why It Matters\While only 10 months into his second term, speculation has been rampant about whether or not Trump would look to undo rules around the two-term limit set out in the Constitution that would keep him from running again.
The idea has come up multiple times, including in a comment from former Trump adviser Steve Bannon in a recent interview that a plan was in place to secure a third term.What To KnowVance has been touted by several within the MAGA movement as the natural way to continue the administration’s policies for an additional four years.
While he has not always been front-and-center during the president’s press conferences and events, he has been vocal in an area Trump cares about a lot—foreign policy. The vice president has also taken a leading role in the Republican attacks on Democrats during the federal government shutdown.Vance has come under fire for his takes on the Young Republicans text chain that included racist comments, which he claimed were not as bad as those from Democratic Virginia attorney general-hopeful Jay Jones regarding violence toward former State House Speaker Todd Gilbert.
Rubio, a former U.S. senator from Florida, would possibly be the surprise pick for Trump’s successor, but he has taken on several roles in the Trump administration, including taking a hardline approach to visa holders who fall under his department’s purview.When Trump pointed to him on Air Force One on Monday, saying he was one of the good people he would pick, Rubio smiled and looked down, appearing shy at the idea.
What People Are SayingPresident Donald Trump, on Air Force One on Monday: “I would love to do it, I have the best numbers ever… All I can tell you is we have a great group of people, which they [Democrats] don’t.”Steve Bannon, former Trump adviser, told The Economist last week: "He's going to get a third term...
so Trump is going to be president in 2028. And people just ought to get accommodated with that.”What Happens NextWhile 2028 is already being discussed, there is a long way to go between now and then, with the 2026 midterms likely to have a big impact on the Trump administration’s decision making—on policy and how it sees the time beyond the next presidential election.
