Vance or Rubio? CPAC debates a Republican Party after Trump | CNN Politics

A decade ago, Jessica Luebbers could not have imagined supporting Marco Rubio for president. His acrimonious race to stop Donald Trump’s march to the White House in 2016 left a bitter taste in her mouth. But as she and hundreds of other Trump supporters gathered outside Dallas this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference to consider the future of the movement, Luebbers said she hoped the president would pass the torch to his former rival in 2028. “I was a little skeptical when Trump picked Rubio (for secretary of state) but, man, he has knocked it out of the park,” Luebbers said. “It’s amazing how much he’s had on his plate.” The growing comfort with Rubio among conservatives was captured in CPAC’s annual straw poll of potential 2028 contenders. After barely registering in the informal survey last year, 35% of attendees at this year’s event said they wanted him to be the party’s next nominee, according to results released Saturday. Rubio trailed only Vice President JD Vance, who won the CPAC straw poll for the second time with 53%, albeit with less support than in 2025, when he won 61%. The straw poll is not a scientific survey, with a pool limited