Marco Rubio has refuted rumors suggesting he is considering leaving his position as Secretary of State, asserting that his plan has always been to serve the entirety of Donald Trump's second term. The denials come in the wake of reports from Bloomberg and The Independent, which cited sources indicating Rubio was re-evaluating his role after the Republican party's losses in the recent midterm elections.
Rubio, who also serves as Trump's national security advisor, joked about the speculation during an interview with The New York Times, questioning the origin of such reports. "I don't know where these things come from, to be honest with you," he stated, adding, "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?'"
Despite the denials, Rubio declined to answer questions regarding his potential candidacy in the 2028 presidential primaries, stating, "I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore. I just won't do it."
Both the White House and the Secretary of State's office have strongly denied the reports of Rubio's potential departure. The speculation emerged following the GOP's loss of both the House and the Senate, attributed by some to voter dissatisfaction over the Iran War and inflation.
Rubio and Vice President JD Vance are considered leading contenders for the Republican nomination in 2028. However, recent polling suggests Vance holds an advantage. A New York Times/Siena University poll from mid-October found Vance leading Rubio among Republican primary voters, a sentiment echoed in a separate Harvard-Harris survey. A New Hampshire poll released late October showed the two candidates tied.
Rubio previously ran for president in 2016. He has also publicly supported Vance as a potential nominee in 2028, stating in a December 2025 interview that if Vance ran, "he's going to be our nominee," and that he would be "one of the first people to support him."