’JD or Marco?’: Iran war raises 2028 stakes as Trump weighs Vance vs. Rubio

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Expert says the upcoming week will be a pivotal moment in the Iran war. Here’s why Leading broker sees gold falling to $3,700 as a real possibility U.S. tech pullback mirrors late stages of dotcom era, strategists say S&P 500: Goldman Sachs says this is the key question in Q2 (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) ’JD or Marco?’: Iran war raises 2028 stakes as Trump weighs Vance vs. Rubio By Politics Published 03/29/2026, 06:03 AM Updated 03/29/2026, 06:07 AM ’JD or Marco?’: Iran war raises 2028 stakes as Trump weighs Vance vs. Rubio 0 By Steve Holland and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON, March 29 - As the war in Iran threatens to imperil President Donald Trump’s legacy, the political stakes also are rising for two of his top lieutenants: Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The pair, widely viewed as potential successors to Trump, have been thrust into still-developing negotiations to end the war at a moment when the Republican Party is already weighing its post-Trump future. Vance has taken a cautious approach, reflecting his skepticism toward prolonged U.S. military involvement, while Rubio has aligned himself closely with Trump’s hawkish stance and emerged as one of the administration’s most vocal defenders of the campaign. Trump has said both men were involved in efforts to force Iran to accept U.S. demands to dismantle its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and allow oil traffic to pass freely through the Strait of Hormuz. With the next presidential election due in 2028 and term limits barring Trump from running again, the president has been putting the succession question to allies and advisers in private, asking "JD or Marco?," two people familiar with his views said. The outcome of the U.S. military operation now in its fifth week could shape the two men’s 2028 prospects, political analysts and Republican officials said. A swift end to the war that favors the U.S. might bolster Rubio, ...