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Mark Halperin’s recent take — that Marco Rubio’s stock is quietly rising while JD Vance is the clear heir to the movement — nails what a lot of patriots already sense: the conservative bench is sharpening itself for the next fight. It’s not a game of personalities but of results and loyalty; voters remember who stood firm for conservative victories, and JD Vance has shown he will.
President Trump has even signaled what many grassroots activists have suspected, suggesting that Vice President JD Vance is the likeliest standard-bearer to carry the torch forward in 2028. That nod from the man who rebuilt the Republican majority should not be treated like idle chatter — it’s a major cue to the movement about continuity and who has earned the trust of the base.
Conservative activists aren’t whispering this in secret — CPAC voters put Vance at the top of their list, and that groundswell matters. When activists and delegates are this decisive, party elites would be wise to listen instead of trying to craft candidates in smoke-filled rooms.
At the same time, Rubio’s profile is rising for the right reasons: he’s taken on consequential foreign-policy duties and shown he can operate on the world stage, which matters to voters tired of weak, inconsistent leadership. Republicans should welcome a serious statesman who can be trusted on national security and who could complement a Vance ticket if the party chooses to build a winning coalition.
Halperin’s point about Vance’s media savvy and willingness to engage is critical — in an age where the left cowers from tough interviews, Vance shows up and fights back, and that wins hearts and minds. Even Vance himself has been careful to call talk of 2028 premature, showing the discipline and focus conservatives want in a leader who puts duty before ambition.
If Republicans are serious about holding power and delivering for hardworking Americans, we must rally behind leaders who earn support through action, not through media-managed image machines. JD Vance has already done the hard work; Marco Rubio has shown he can strengthen a future ticket. The choice ahead should be about bold ideas, loyalty to the movement, and a refusal to let the left define our future — and that is a fight conservatives should embrace with pride.
