Trump's unusual test to compare JD Vance and Marco Rubio's political popularity ahead of 2028
President Donald Trump is deploying an unusual tactic to gauge who is more popular ahead of the race to be his successor in 2028 - Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump asked a room of donors at his Mar-a-Lago estate for their thoughts on his top two lieutenants one day after he launched a war on Iran.
It was not the first time Trump had quizzed his inner circle like this before.
'What do you think of JD Vance and Marco Rubio?' the President asked during a speech, sources in the room told the Wall Street Journal.
Over jumbo crab and rib-eye steaks, attendees applauded loudly for Rubio, the people said. The secretary of state reportedly received noticeably louder applause than did Vance.
Vance, 41, and Rubio, 54, both former senators and football fans with differing appeal depending on where in the country one may be from - whether they like it or not - are at the heart of Trump's 2028 sweepstakes.
Currently, Vance leads early polling to become the GOP's 2028 presidential nominee according to an exclusive survey by the Daily Mail and JL Partners.
Nineteen percent of respondents said Vance is the most influential member of Trump's inner circle. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was second with 12 percent.
President Donald Trump has asked donors and advisors their thoughts comparing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance
At a Mar-a-Lago dinner with donors the day after the US-Israeli initial strike on Iran, Trump asked the group over steak and crab what they made of his two lieutenants
Vance's midwestern charm and hillbilly roots combined with his Ivy League education and Silicon Valley experience have charmed a wide swath of the 'new right,' including Donald Trump Jr, Tucker Carlson, Turning Point USA's Erika Kirk, Palantir CEO Alex Karp and GOP megadonor Jeff Yass.
Rubio's fluency in Spanish and high-profile foreign relations projects have minted the son of Cuban immigrants as a capable statesman who also appears comfortable in big moments on the world stage, yet relatable through a barrage of positive memes and virally charismatic rendition of Pitbull's 'Fireball.'
The President's interest in who succeeds him in the 2028 election has thrust both Vance and Rubio into a rivalry of sorts, despite Vance claiming that Rubio is his best friend in the administration.
Rubio received a louder applause, sources in the room told the WSJ
But Vance, Trump said on Monday, was 'less enthusiastic' about going to war with Iran. The President and the Vice President differ 'philosophically' on the matter, Trump told reporters at a press conference in Florida.
Last month, Donald Trump Jr warned that there was a social media campaign to tarnish Vance that was 'arguably the most obvious and flagrant operation I’ve ever seen in the history of social media.'
Meanwhile, the President has repeatedly said that Marco Rubio will be known as the greatest diplomat in US history. And Rubio has been front and center in much of the coverage of Iran.
'Marco is going to go down, I think, as the best secretary of state in history. That’s my opinion. Now, I’m a little prejudiced because I like him,' Trump said over the weekend.
Though Trump has said Vance will 'likely' be the heir apparent to the Republican empire, the President has propped up Rubio recently.
Trump has also mentioned that the two Republicans should team up.
'I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,' the President said last year.
At a recent Board of Peace event, Trump noted the difference in approach between the Vice President and the Secretary of State.
'He gets a little bit tough on occasion; we gotta slow him down on occasion,' Trump said of the VP.
Vance has said that Rubio is his best friend in the Trump adminsitration
The two former Senators are frequently seen laughing together at White House events
'Marco is my closest friend in the administration,' Vance told Fox News in late February
'Then we have the opposite extreme,' the President pivoted. 'Marco does it with a velvet glove. But it's a kill.'
The Secretary's diplomatic approach extends to his potential 2028 primary opponent.
'If JD Vance runs for president, he's going to be our nominee, and I'll be one of the first people to support him,' Rubio told Vanity Fair last year.
Vance still holds the most sway over the president, the latest Daily Mail/JL Partners poll over registered voters taken this month found. The poll of 1,020 registered voters was conducted between March 2 and March 3 with a 3.1 percent margin of error.
Nineteen percent of respondents said the Vice President is the most influential member of Trump's inner circle. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was second with 12 percent, followed by Donald Trump Jr. and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, tied for third place.
The same poll, which was taken after the military strikes began, shows Rubio’s approval rating sank from a high of 40 percent in February to 36 percent on Friday.
Thirty-four percent disapprove of Rubio. Seventeen percent offered a neutral position and another 14 percent were unsure.
But the two deny any animus.
'Marco is my closest friend in the administration,' Vance told Fox News in late February. 'I think it's so interesting the media wants to create this conflict where there just isn't any conflict.'
Representatives for Vance and Rubio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
