President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that Vice President JD Vance is “most likely” his heir apparent to serve as the Republican nominee in 2028, the furthest he has gone in backing Vance as a future presidential candidate.

“Well, I think most likely,” Trump told reporters when asked whether Vance was the heir apparent to the movement he has inspired. “In all fairness, he’s the vice president.”

Trump also proposed that Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio join forces for a future Republican ticket.

While the 2028 race is still years away, Trump holds considerable influence with the Republican base and any sign that he is backing a candidate carries significant implications.

Trump has declined in the past to offer any endorsement for a 2028 successor. He said in February that Vance was “very capable” but that it was too early to name him as the leading candidate.

Vance, a 40-year-old onetime Marine, has carved out a sizable role in the Trump administration, serving as a key diplomat and top surrogate selling Trump’s domestic policy at home and foreign policy abroad.

Rubio, a former Florida senator, has emerged as a significant figure in an administration that has spent considerable time tackling thorny foreign policy dilemmas. He is the first person since Henry Kissinger to serve as both secretary of state and national security adviser.

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(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Ross Colvin and Stephen Coates)