U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Vice President JD Vance is “most likely” to succeed him as standard-bearer of the Make America Great Again movement and to become the Republican presidential nominee in 2028. The comment, delivered to reporters at the White House, marks the strongest public indication to date of Trump’s preference for a successor. Trump added that it is still early to settle the party’s 2028 ticket but floated the possibility of pairing Vance with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, another high-profile figure in his administration. The president’s backing carries weight with Republican primary voters and donors, and his remarks are expected to sharpen jockeying among future contenders even as the next election cycle remains three years away. Vance, 40, is a former Ohio senator and Marine who has taken on an expansive diplomatic and domestic policy role as vice president. Rubio, a onetime Florida senator who now serves concurrently as secretary of state and national security adviser, has also been viewed as a potential candidate. Neither has formally declared a 2028 run.