Rubio says he has ‘no plans at this time’ to run for president

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose name has been floated as a possible 2028 Republican contender to succeed President Trump, said he has no plans to launch another bid for the White House.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I have no plans at this time,” Rubio said in an interview with Colombian news station RCN , translated by NBC News. “I’m not a candidate for anything right now. And I’m 100 percent focused on my job, and I have to be because I have two jobs.”

The comments are in line with what one person familiar with the matter told NBC News, telling the outlet that Rubio “loves being secretary of State and is really enjoying the job.” The person said Rubio has no intention of running in 2028.

“If you asked him if he’s interested in 2032 or 2036, he would probably say sure,” the person told the outlet.

Rubio and Vice President Vance, who have talked about their friendship during their time in the Trump administration, have both been suggested as possible torchbearers of Trump’s legacy when his term ends in 2029.

The Hill’s ranking of possible GOP presidential contenders listed Vance as the top candidate to succeed Trump, with Rubio in second place. Neither Republican has said publicly whether they will run for president in 2028 , but they are the consensus top two in recent polls of likely GOP voters .

An Emerson College and The Hill survey released last month showed Rubio outperforming Vance in five match-ups against Democrats, with the exception of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who held a 5-point edge against both Republicans.

Rubio first ran for president in the 2016 Republican primaries, launching his campaign the year before.

The former Florida senator pitched himself as a next-generation candidate, heavily emphasizing foreign policy and urging that the U.S. leave its deal with Iran over its nuclear program, which the U.S. would do in 2018 during Trump’s first term.

Rubio later suspended his campaign and backed Trump after losing his home state’s primary to the native New Yorker. He remained in the Senate until Trump, after winning a second term in the 2024 election, tapped Rubio to be his secretary of State.