New Poll Shows Secretary of State Marco Rubio Leading 2028 Presidential Race
AtlasIntel has released a new survey with surprising results, suggesting there might be a new frontrunner for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2028.
The study, conducted between May 4 and 7 with a sample size of 2,069 American adults, found that a plurality (45.4 percent) of Republican respondents now favor Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead the GOP ticket two years from now.
And what Rubio did after this news emerged has already sparked discussion.
Vice President JD Vance, who had long been the front-runner, placed second with 29.6%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) with 11.2%.
Another 10.3% of Republicans indicated their choice was not among the options listed after DeSantis.
Vivek Ramaswamy, currently running for governor of Ohio, came in fourth at 1.4%.
Additionally:
Fifty-one percent of respondents have a negative view of Rubio, while 46 percent have a positive opinion.
Vance's numbers are even lower, with 58% negative and only 37% positive.
The polling firm's previous national poll, conducted last December, showed Vance with a significant lead over Rubio, 46.7% to 22.6%.
On Monday, President Donald Trump asked a crowd at the White House, “Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” before speculating that it sounded “like a good ticket.”
“By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team. But these are minor details. That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance!” Trump continued, seemingly half-joking.
While Rubio has publicly deferred to Vice President J.D. Vance regarding the 2028 presidential race, President Trump has repeatedly praised Rubio’s performance in recent months.
Rubio has become one of Trump’s closest advisors, playing a key role in U.S. policy toward Venezuela following the U.S. operation that led to the capture of its leader, Nicolás Maduro, and in diplomatic engagement with Cuba.
Trump has stated that Rubio is “totally involved” in negotiations with Iran, even though he has limited Rubio’s direct participation in some meetings with Iranian officials.
Rubio has also participated in discussions with officials from Ukraine and Russia as part of efforts to resolve that conflict.
The State Department has not held an on-camera briefing since August, though Rubio has answered questions from reporters in other settings.
He last briefed State Department reporters in December, responding to questions from the press corps and continuing to engage with the traveling pool.
May 1 marked Rubio’s first anniversary as national security advisor, making him the first person to hold both that role and Secretary of State simultaneously since Henry Kissinger during the Richard Nixon administration.
Regarding Iran, Rubio echoed Trump’s earlier assertion that the War Powers Act is “unconstitutional.”
The Vietnam-era law requires presidents to seek congressional approval within 60 days of initiating military operations, but almost all presidents since its passage in 1973 have considered it an unlawful infringement on their roles as commander-in-chief.
Rubio stated that he held this view even during his time as a senator from Florida, while also asserting that the U.S. conflict with Iran had concluded.
He added that the administration is entering a “new phase” focused on freeing ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, where vessels have been blocked from exiting by Iran.
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