Trump Calls Vance-Rubio Ticket "Very Hard to Beat"

US President Donald Trump has said that a joint candidacy by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the 2028 presidential election would be very hard to beat.

In an interview on Miranda Devine's podcast, Trump said the two politicians get along well and would make a strong team. "I would think that JD and Marco as a team would be very hard to beat", he said.

Both are seen as possible Republican candidates to succeed Trump, although each has played down their 2028 ambitions for now. Trump, however, continues to fuel speculation about the succession.

Vance and Rubio have both made regular appearances at White House press briefings recently, defending the administration's positions, including on the increasingly unpopular war with Iran.

Rubio drew attention from Republicans and some Democrats alike for a recent briefing appearance in which he combined humor and a reference to 1990s hip-hop to describe Iran's negotiating position.

Although the presidential election is more than three years away and no candidate has officially declared, preparations to succeed Trump are already under way among Democrats.

(reuters, bak)