The 2028 Presidential election is just over two years away, but the speculation for the 2028 Republican candidate has already begun. Most believe Vice President J.D. Vance will be the successor to President Trump and will win in a landslide in 2028. But there are plenty of others that believe other names might be coming into the race that could provide Vance a real challenge.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has run for President a couple times in the last ten years, and his name is once again a popular shout for the next election. He has said publicly he will not run if Vance is running, but if we know anything about Washington, feelings can turn on a dime. Whether or not Rubio runs though could create two scenarios.

One is it provides Vance with a true challenge, which people in the party want to see how Vance would handle. The other scenario is that the party becomes split over Vance or Rubio, and the party cannot unify behind one candidate before November 2028.

Robin Itzler of The American Thinker says Vance is the favorite, but Rubio has a shot due to Vance’s close personal relationship with Tucker Carlson. Who has come under intense scrutiny lately for things he has said on his podcast.

“Tucker is a good friend of J.D. Vance, and that concerns a lot of people,” she says.

As mentioned, things can change with every hour in Washington, so Rubio might announce he plans to run even by the time this article is published. Very highly doubtful, but it highlights how quick the sands shift in politics.

So, Rubio saying he will not run if Vance is in the race does not carry much water. Rubio is biding his time, staying under the radar as a strategy. At least, as much as one can as a member of the Presidential Cabinet.

“Politicians are still politicians and they change their mind…but I personally feel he has said he will not run is to that people are not analyzing every little thing he does,” says Itzler.

That is the brutal side of politics people do not usually understand. When you announced a run for an office, everything you do or have done, past, present, and future, is all under scrutiny. In Rubio’s case, it is infinitely harder to be under the radar as a candidate when you hold a high-profile position.

So, really, waiting is a smart play, should he decide to run.

“If he said he was going to run, or implied it indirectly, everything he did would be analyzed under a microscope under a different perspective,” Itzler says.

Itzler adds that while Rubio running might not split the party, it will create fireworks.