Marco Rubio’s Path to the White House in 2028 Takes Shape

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Rubio and Vance have long been seen as the two front-runners to succeed President Donald Trump in 2028. A week and a half after Republicans lost a net 41 House seats and eight…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spent the 1 1/2 weeks since the midterms practicing diplomacy, from a G7 meeting in France to Washington, while his party is in flames. He has refused to talk about any of it.

On Sunday, as he left for France, a reporter asked whether the cost of the Iran war was worth the electoral blowout. "I just don't have any opinion on what happened in the election," he said.

He stuck to that position on Monday. Asked whether he still stood by his past promise to be the first to support Vice President JD Vance if he ran for president, Rubio told reporters: "I'm not going to discuss 2028. I'm not going to discuss it in any form or fashion." A reporter tried 2032 instead.

Rubio and Vance have long been seen as the two front-runners to succeed President Donald Trump in 2028. A week and a half after Republicans lost a net 41 House seats and eight Senate seats—marking the GOP's worst midterm performance in both chambers since 1958—the two men find themselves in very different positions.

Vance's standing has taken a hit. The day after the election, he posted a lengthy eulogy for the GOP on X, blaming the Iran war for the losses. The ceasefire he negotiated fell apart in June, and Vance has become closely tied to the administration's failed strategy in the Middle East. The Ohio governor's race, in which he was heavily involved, also adds to his problems.

Rubio, by contrast, has largely avoided the blame and kept his distance from the political fallout. Republican strategists and political analysts consulted by Newsweek say that this cautious approach could give the secretary of state an opening in the race for the nomination.

For most of the midterms campaign, Rubio was nowhere near it. Other Cabinet members crisscrossed the country for Republican candidates as the midterms got closer, and he largely stayed home.

He broke that pattern for one short swing. In late October, Rubio joined Trump at two events in Texas, traveling in his capacity as national…

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