Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro says Secretary of State Marco Rubio is unlikely to challenge Vice President JD Vance for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, arguing that entering such a contest would carry significant political risks for Rubio regardless of the outcome.
During a podcast interview with Patrick Bet-David released Wednesday, Shapiro described Rubio as a “very risk-averse politician” and laid out several scenarios that he believes could convince the secretary of state to stay out of the race.
“If you’re Marco and you’re … gaming out what the next few years look like for you, here are your choices: Run against JD, you lose, you’re done,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro argued that even defeating Vance in a Republican primary could leave Rubio facing a difficult general-election environment, while staying on the sidelines could preserve his prospects for the future.
“You run against JD, you win, it’s a rough election cycle anyway because the president’s riding in the 30s and the country’s in the mood for ‘something new’ and you lose, you’re done,” Shapiro continued. “You don’t run, JD may pick you as his VP candidate, JD loses, you’re next. JD does not pick you and JD loses, you’re also next.”
Based on that calculation, Shapiro said he believes “Rubio will not run out of risk aversion” and added that he would put his “money on Vance” if the two were faced with a potential 2028 showdown.
Neither Vance nor Rubio has announced plans to seek the presidency in 2028, and both are currently serving in senior positions in the Trump administration. Speculation about their political futures, however, has continued to build well ahead of the next presidential campaign.
President Trump has himself fueled talk of a possible Vance-Rubio ticket, previously describing the pair as a “dream team” for a future presidential campaign.
“I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate,” Trump told reporters in May, while declining to say which of the two he envisioned at the top of the ticket.
Vance subsequently dismissed suggestions that there was political friction between himself and Rubio, saying their relationship had become exceptionally close while emphasizing that neither should be focused on the 2028 campaign at this stage of the administration.
“I love Marco. I think he’s a great Secretary of State,” Vance said. “He’s become a very, very dear friend, but I think both of us are very much focused on accomplishing the American people’s business right now.
“If I was the American people, there are few things that I would hate more than a person who’s barely been in office a year-and-a-half who’s angling for a job two-and-a-half years down the road,” he continued. “Let’s do a good job now. We are, we’ve just got to keep at it.”
{Matzav.com}
