Is Rubio’s star rising in Trump world? Duel with Vance for 2028 heats up

It was the perfect split-screen for the race to succeed Donald Trump – so long as your name is Marco Rubio and not J.D. Vance.

In a packed White House briefing room, journalists shouted over each other in a bid to get a question from the US secretary of state.

At the same time Vice-President Vance – Rubio’s most likely rival for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination – was hundreds of kilometres away from the action at a political fundraiser in Oklahoma.

“Guys, this is chaos,” said Rubio as reporters desperately waved their hands at him.

The 54-year-old appeared to be enjoying his time standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave.

He fielded a series of questions on Iran, Cuba and China with a relaxed style and dashes of humour – and little of the invective that Trump often unleashes in his briefing room appearances.