Marco Rubio vows to stick with Trump as he denies rumors he's leaving administration... but leaves mystery lingering over 2028
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By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER
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Marco Rubio cracked a joke while denying rumors he was quitting his position as Secretary of State to run for president following the GOP's midterm elections losses.
Both Bloomberg and The Independent revealed that Rubio was reconsidering his role in Donald Trump's cabinet, with many Republicans favoring him to take over the mantle from the President in two years.
However, Rubio said serving out all four years of Trump's second term has 'always been my plan' in an interview with The New York Times Thursday.
'I don't know where these things come from, to be honest with you,' he said of the reports, one of which had insiders saying he was on 'resignation watch.'
He also brought some levity to the situation, joking about his role as a Swiss Army Knife in the Trump administration.
'I love the work I'm doing and plus I always laugh when they say he's going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'
In addition to Secretary of State, Rubio serves as Trump's national security advisor. He has formerly served as acting administrator of USAID and acting archivist of the United States.
Rubio then refused to answer any questions regarding his status for the 2028 primaries.
'I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore. I just won't do it.'
Marco Rubio cracked a joke while denying rumors he was quitting his position as Secretary of State to run for president following the GOP's midterm elections losses
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a rare appearance alongside Trump at a rally in Corpus Christi on Tuesday, where the president called him up in front of the crowd and declared, 'he's so popular'
Bloomberg had cited several White House sources claiming he was going over options for his future.
Both the White House and Secretary's office vehemently denied those reports.
Rubio and Vice President JD Vance are considered two of the favorites for the 2028 nomination, though that was before Republicans lost the House and Senate Tuesday on voter anger over the Iran War and inflation.
The Secretary of State - who unsuccessfully ran in 2016 - has long committed to not running if Vance himself runs.
Rubio didn't appear on the campaign trail leading up to the midterms until late on, where Trump joked about how popular the secretary was.
According to POLITICO, one Republican official in a state with a key Senate race said they had asked for Rubio to attend a political event but were told he was not participating in campaign activities because of his diplomatic role.
As Rubio may be a favorite within the GOP, recent polling shows Vance holds an edge.
A New York Times/Siena University poll conducted October 12-19 found Vance leading Rubio 33 percent to 23 percent among Republican primary voters.
A separate Harvard-Harris survey conducted October 24-26 put Vance at 40 percent and Rubio at 21 percent, while a New Hampshire poll released October 22 found the pair tied at 38 percent each.
Rubio ran for president in 2016 but has played down speculation about another White House bid, saying in September that he had 'no plans at this time' and was '100% focused on my job.'
He has also publicly backed Vice President JD Vance as the potential Republican nominee in 2028.
In a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, Rubio said that if Vance ran, 'he's going to be our nominee,' adding that he would be 'one of the first people to support him.'
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