Trump polls a White House event, by applause, on if they want Vance or Rubio on the 2028 GOP ticket

<p><img src="https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/CRSA436UOLMMH…; alt="CRSA436UOLMMH4T7WQCQ5TEB5A.jpg?auth=6429"></p><div><div><p><span>President Trump took a poll, by applause, during a dinner in the White House Rose Garden on Monday night, asking the crowd who they<b> </b>want to see on the 2028 Republican presidential ticket.</span></p><p><span>Speaking at an event marking the start of <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/05/peace-officers-… Police Week</a>, the president veered off course and spoke for several minutes about the next presidential election.<b> </b>Among other topics, he attacked<b> </b>former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom, both whom have been discussed as potential frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nominee.</span></p><p><span>“I don’t know who it’s going to be,” Trump said from the podium. “Is it going to be JD? Is it going to be somebody else? I don’t know.”</span></p></div><div><p><span>He then asked the crowd, “who likes JD Vance?”, which was met with applause and a few cheers. Trump then inquired about Rubio; the Florida Republican<b> </b>received slightly less applause in response. </span></p><p><span>“All right, sounds like a good ticket,” Trump quipped afterwards, but told Vance and Rubio that it “does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance.”</span></p><p><span>“But you know it’s perfect, there was a big, and then a very nice,” Trump said of the applause. “I think it sounds like presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate.”</span></p><p><span>There has been speculation, albeit early, on whom Trump will endorse to succeed him in the next election. Rubio ran for the GOP nomination in 2016 and lost to Trump in the primaries.<b> </b>During the 2024 campaign, Trump<b> </b>picked Vance to run as his No. 2 while Vance<b> </b>was serving his first term in the Senate.</span></p><p><span>Polling suggests GOP voters may prefer<b> </b>Vance over Rubio, and that they recognize him more. But like Trump, whose disapproval rating <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/donald-trump-approval-rating-… consistently sat below 40 percent</a> in recent weeks, Vance’s popularity with the American public could be a weak spot for a potential candidacy. </span></p><p><span>In <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/docs/2026/Reuters_Ipsos_Core_Politica… poll by Ipsos and Reuters</a> last month, 54 percent of Democratic and Republican voters<b> </b>said they had an unfavorable view of the vice president. Rubio’s approval rating fared<b> </b>slightly better, but nearly 20 percent of respondents said they had never heard of the Secretary of State.</span></p><p><span>Trump reportedly has fun asking advisers behind closed doors who they would prefer to see lead the Republican ticket, although the New York Times <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/05/10/nation/vance-rubio-2028-trump/">…; that the 2028 election isn’t top of mind for the president. The White House told the Globe that they have nothing to add to the president’s comments Monday.</span></p><p><span>On the other side of the aisle, Harris, who lost to Trump in 2024, has <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/12/nation/national-action-network-c… she’s thinking about another presidential run</a>. Newsom, who has reached his term limit in California, has put himself on the national stage, often <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/07/metro/gavin-newsom-jfk-library-b… head-to-head with Trump</a>.</span></p><p><span>In <a href="https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/HHP_Apr2026_Ke… Harvard/Harris poll</a> conducted in April, 50 percent of Democratic voters said they would want to see Harris on the 2028 presidential ticket, with Newsom coming in second at 22 percent. </span></p><p>Kaitlin Lewis can be reached at <a href="mailto:Kaitlin.Lewis@globe.com">Kaitlin.Lewis@globe.com</a&gt;. Follow her on X <a href="https://www.twitter.com/kblewey">@kblewey</a>.</p></div></div&gt;