7 most likely GOP successors to Trump in 2028
President Trump raised eyebrows in an interview that aired Monday after he declined to name Vice President Vance as his automatic successor ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
“No, but he is very capable,” Trump told fox News’ Bret Baier when asked if he viewed Vance as his 2028 successor.
“I think you have a lot of very capable people,” the president said. “So far I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early. We’re just starting.”
Trump is term-limited in 2028, having already served a non-consecutive term as president. While the next presidential contest is four years away, Trump will likely be expected to make an endorsement shortly after the midterms next year.
Here are seven potential Republican successors to Trump.
JD Vance
While Trump hesitated to call Vance his natural successor, the vice president is widely seen as a future leader of the MAGA movement. Vance has also played a key role as Trump’s liaison to the Senate during his Cabinet’s confirmation hearings, drawing on his past relationships and experience as senator from Ohio.
Additionally, Trump has tasked his vice president with a number of key initiatives including overseeing a potential future TikTok deal and hurricane recovery efforts. This week, Vance is on the global stage, representing the U.S. at an artificial intelligence summit in Paris and at the Munich Security Conference.
Vance, 40, is seen as one of the younger faces among the GOP’s leadership. The vice president saw his profile rise with the publication of his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” in 2016, which coincided with Trump’s entrance onto the political scene. While Vance was initially a vocal critic of Trump, he spoke about his own experiences growing up in Appalachia in explaining Trump’s growing support among white working class and rural Americans.
Vance gradually became more supportive of Trump in the lead-up to his run for Senate in Ohio, where he defeated Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) by six points. The then-senator was arguably one of Trump’s most vocal supporters during his time in the legislative body.
Marco Rubio
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also been floated as a potential successor to Trump, given his breadth of political and policy experience and broad appeal.
Rubio, 53, began his political career in Florida’s House of Representatives, rising to become Speaker of the chamber before running for U.S. Senate. During his tenure on Capitol Hill, Rubio served as ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Rubio notably had one of the smoothest confirmation processes in the second Trump administration, with his Republican and Democratic colleagues unanimously voting to confirm as secretary of State. Rubio was also in consideration to be Trump’s running mate last year.
Though Rubio is serving in one of the most high-profile positions in the Trump administration, he and the president had a rocky start to their political relationship. Trump and Rubio both ran for president in the 2016 Republican primary. The two infamously got into a war of words where Rubio jabbed Trump’s “small hands” and Trump branded Rubio as “Little Marco.” Rubio dropped out of the race after losing the Florida Republican primary to Trump and later endorsed Trump once he officially secured the presidential nomination.
Rubio’s background as the son of Cuban immigrants is seen as a major asset among Republicans as they seek to increase their margins with Latino voters. In 2024, Trump grew his support with Latino voters and flipped Miami Dade County for the first time since 1988. The county, which is Rubio’s home county, has been viewed as a test case for Republicans making inroads with Hispanic voters.
Ron DeSantis
Like Rubio, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) went head-to-head with Trump in a Republican presidential primary and lost.But the governor is still said to have future presidential aspirations.
Prior to running for governor, DeSantis, 46, served three terms in Congress. He was elected governor in 2018 after receiving Trump’s backing and running a largely Trumpian campaign.
DeSantis really saw his national profile skyrocket during the coronavirus pandemic, when he encouraged Florida officials to take a more hands-off approach to restrictions and became a vocal opponent of Anthony Fauci, who was serving as director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Over two years after the pandemic, DeSantis easily won reelection and saw Florida Republicans make major electoral gains the same year. That momentum, coupled with praise from conservatives for his handling of the pandemic, propelled DeSantis to launch his presidential campaign in May of 2023.
The tension between Trump, who launched his presidential campaign in November of 2022, devolved into an all out feud during the presidential primary. DeSantis came in a distant second to Trump during the Iowa Caucuses. DeSantis suspended his presidential bid shortly before the New Hampshire primary and endorsed Trump.
Trump and DeSantis have taken a number of steps to mend their working relationship following the 2024 Republican primary. The governor also received a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in July. In September, following the second assassination attempt against Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course, the governor announced the state was opening a criminal investigation into the matter. Last month, DeSantis called a special legislative session in Florida in an effort to enact Trump’s immigration agenda.
Kristi Noem
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has also been floated as a potential successor to Trump given her status as a high-profile figure within the MAGA movement.
Prior to being confirmed as Trump’s Homeland Security secretary, Noem served as governor of South Dakota for five years. Before she was governor, she represented the state in the House of Representatives for eight years.
While Noem was initially critical of Trump and endorsed Rubio in 2016, she has since become a loyal and vocal supporter of the president. Noem has frequently appeared on conservative media to defend Trump and tout her conservative positions.
Like DeSantis, she was a red state leader during the pandemic who resisted COVID-19 mandates. She has also championed a number of conservative measures as governor, including a law to restrict abortion that does not include exceptions for rape and incest and only to save the life of the mother. Noem also signed off on legislation to ban surgical and nonsurgical gender-affirming care for minors and to restrict transgender athletes.
Noem was floated as a potential running mate for Trump last year as well.
Glenn Youngkin
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) was catapulted onto the national stage when he defeated former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (R) in the race for the state’s governor’s mansion. Youngkin’s victory was seen as comeback for Republicans, taking place one year after former President Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
While Youngkin and Trump found themselves on the same side of most issues, the gubernatorial candidate was careful about how he approached Trump as a political presence on the campaign trail. Youngkin notably did not stump alongside Trump during the election as Democrats sought to tie him to the former president. Trump formally backed Youngkin for the role.
However, Youngkin, 58, has since built ties with Trump on and off of the campaign trail. The two leaders appeared together in public for the first time in June as polls showed Trump gaining steam in Virginia, a state that has been reliably blue at the presidential level in recent elections. Trump ultimately lost the state to Vice President Harris, but improved his margins from 2020 to 2024.
Youngkin is seen as staunchly conservative but has a broad appeal, stretching outside of the MAGA movement. An Emerson College poll released last month showed Youngkin with a 58 percent approval rating and a 37 percent approval rating in Virginia. Youngkin is term-limited and cannot run for a second consecutive term in 2025.
The governor notably left the door open to the possibility of running in the 2024 Republican presidential primary but formally backed Trump’s bid for president in March.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has been rapidly building his political profile since his 2024 Republican presidential primary run. However, unlike Rubio and DeSantis, Ramaswamy avoided attacking Trump. Ramaswamy quickly dropped out of the Republican primary and endorsed Trump after the Iowa caucuses. Ramaswamy then became one of Trump’s more prominent surrogates on the campaign trail.
Ramaswamy’s profile rose further during the Trump transition when it was announced he and Elon Musk would spearhead the incoming administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. But that role was short-lived. Ramaswamy departed the agency last month and is expected to launch a bid for Ohio governor.
Ramswamy, 39, would join Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) in the Republican primary for governor. Unlike Yost, Ramsawamy has never won an election as a candidate and does not have experience serving in elected office. However, Ramaswamy has received notable endorsements from Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, along with Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). His team has also brought on some of Vice President Vance’s top political advisers, which suggests he could be in the running for an endorsement from Trump or Vance.
But if Ramaswamy were to launch a presidential bid in 2028, he would have to do so immediately after being elected governor. That would leave just under two years to launch a presidential campaign while serving the first half of his term as governor.
Greg Abbott
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is a recognizable face within the Republican Party, having served as governor of the Lone Star State since 2015. He had previously served as Texas attorney general since 2002.
Abbott is seen as a staunch Trump ally, particularly on the key issue of immigration and securing the southern border. Like DeSantis in Florida, Abbott has sought to boost his state’s working relationship with the Trump administration on immigration. Abbott met with Trump in the Oval Office last week.
The Texas governor also enjoys a relatively high popularity rating in the state. According to a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll released last year, Abbott enjoys a 49 percent approval rating and a 40 percent disapproval rating.
Abbott is not term-limited as governor.
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