Vance or Rubio? CPAC debates a Republican Party after Trump

Key Points:

• At the 2026 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Marco Rubio gained significant support as a potential 2028 Republican presidential nominee, receiving 35% in the CPAC straw poll, second only to Vice President JD Vance at 53%.
• Rubio's rising popularity among conservatives contrasts with Vance's more behind-the-scenes role and mixed views on foreign policy, particularly regarding recent military actions in Iran, leading some younger conservatives to prefer Rubio despite his hawkish stance.
• Former President Donald Trump, who did not attend CPAC for the first time in a decade, has praised both Rubio and Vance but has not endorsed a successor, leaving his influence as a potential kingmaker in the 2028 nomination contest significant.
• Other potential 2028 contenders, such as Senator Ted Cruz and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., received minimal support in the straw poll, with Cruz at 1% and Kennedy at 0%, indicating a focus on Rubio and Vance among CPAC attendees.
• Some attendees expressed a desire for new leadership beyond Trump and Vance, while others remain hopeful for Trump’s continued influence or even a hypothetical 2028 run, despite constitutional limits.