Poll gives Rubio massive 2028 lead over VP Vance

Vance, once seen as the clearest heir to Trump’s movement, now appears to face a more complicated path.

By JFeed

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has opened a wide lead over Vice President JD Vance in a new national poll of potential Republican presidential candidates for 2028.

The AtlasIntel survey, conducted from May 4-7 among 2,069 Americans, found Rubio with 45.4% support among Republican voters.

Vance was second with 29.6%, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis placed third with 11.2%.

The poll marks a major shift from December, when Vance led the field with 46.7% and Rubio stood at 22.6%.

The reversal suggests Rubio has gained significantly inside the Republican base during a period in which he has become one of the most visible figures in the Trump administration.

Rubio’s rise follows months of high-profile diplomatic activity.

As secretary of state, he has been involved in negotiations over the war in Ukraine, new sanctions against Cuba and efforts to manage the Iran war and the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz.

His role in those issues has placed him at the center of the administration’s foreign policy agenda.

President Donald Trump also appeared to fuel speculation about the Republican succession this week, mentioning both Rubio and Vance during a White House Rose Garden event.

“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? It sounds like a dream team to me,” Trump said Monday.

Vance, once seen as the clearest heir to Trump’s movement, now appears to face a more complicated path.

His position as vice president gives him national visibility and proximity to Trump, but Rubio’s polling surge suggests Republican voters may be rewarding the secretary of state’s performance during major international crises.

Still, Rubio’s broader public standing remains mixed.

The poll found him with a 46% positive favorability rating and a 51% negative rating among the general public, showing that strength inside the GOP primary electorate may not automatically translate into wider general election appeal.

The survey also included several other possible Republican contenders, including Vivek Ramaswamy, Greg Abbott, Tim Scott, Brian Kemp and Donald Trump Jr. Some 10.3% of respondents said they would not vote for any of the named options.

AtlasIntel has been rated among the most accurate pollsters of the 2020 and 2024 US election cycles.

The poll also found broad public skepticism over the Trump administration’s decision to strike Iran during Operation Epic Fury. Some 59.2% opposed the strikes, while 38.9% supported them.

A majority also said the strikes increased the risk of terror attacks against Americans and increased Iran’s motivation to develop nuclear weapons.