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Vance and Rubio emerge as early contenders to inherit Trump’s Republican Party

An early glimpse of the battle to succeed US President Donald Trump atop the Republican ticket played out last week in classic Trumpian fashion when…

By Samantha Johnson / May 23, 2026

An early glimpse of the battle to succeed US President Donald Trump atop the Republican ticket played out last week in classic Trumpian fashion when Vice-President J.D. Vance was temporarily demoted to play press secretary.

His hour-long spell fielding questions from the White House “lion’s den” press corps included statements chiding the media and the obligatory denial for ambitious politicians.

“This is crazy. You guys have got to behave yourself,” he told reporters, before adding: “I’m not a future candidate, I’m a vice-president. And I really like my job.”

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Vance’s turn at the podium on Tuesday followed a similar appearance two weeks earlier by Vance’s expected presidential rival, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Interest in the horse-race has taken on salience in China after Rubio made his first-ever visit to Beijing alongside Trump despite being twice sanctioned in 2020 for his record as a China hawk and critic of human rights in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet as a senator, allegations that Beijing denies.

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The early reviews in the press secretary beauty contest appeared to favour Rubio, who joked, jousted and quoted hip-hop lyrics with reporters while most of Vance’s attempts at humour fell flat.

US Vice-President J.D. Vance fields questions at a press briefing at the White House on May 19. Photo: EPA
US Vice-President J.D. Vance fields questions at a press briefing at the White House on May 19. Photo: EPA

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