Inside Trump's Search for His Heir Apparent

President Trump is actively trying to figure out which Republican's name he wants to see on the 2028 ballot. The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump has been informally "polling" allies for months on whether Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio should inherit his MAGA mantle, and the answer is far from settled. Vance leads early GOP primary surveys and has the backing of Donald Trump Jr. and Turning Point USA, while sources say Rubio is gaining favor with Trump thanks to his foreign-policy hawkishness and TV polish. (The Iran war might indeed be complicating things.)

The choice isn't just about personalities. As Alex Leary, Natalie Andrews, and Meridith McGraw write, Trump's eventual nod could define what Republicanism looks like for years: "elevating either the populist anti-interventionist ideas of Vance or the more hawkish foreign policy vision of Rubio." When asked about Rubio in a February interview, Vance insisted there's "no conflict" other than one dreamed up by the media and framed Rubio as the person he's closest to in the administration. Still, it's not a question Trump is apparently looking to settle quickly: "Trump finds the idea of comparing the two a game, and doesn't see it as him choosing a successor at this point," per the Journal story. Read it in full here.