In an unexpected move during the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald
Trump named Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his vice presidential candidate. In doing so, he made the announcement official at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and showed how quickly Vance had risen within the ranks of the GOP. Vance is conservative and very loud for Trump’s “America First” policies; he is expected to play a key role in energizing the conservative base as this election nears. Many analysts think that with Vance’s reputation as a “Trumpism heir,” he could be the one to carry the torch of the former president and further his agenda.
The Vance appointment comes with much speculation that more personnel changes could be on the verge of happening in Trump’s orbit, maybe even as important as the senatorial cabinet heads of star Republicans such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. No such announcement has taken place, but Rubio has had years of experience and consistency with Trump’s views on foreign policy, which provides a good bet for the secretary of state if he were to win the 2024 election.
The fantasy appointment speaks to Trump’s modus operandi of surrounding himself with stalwarts who are in close agreement with his political and foreign policy views. Rubio is a longtime politician on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his record has proven him to be hawkish in various international matters, particularly China and Latin America. The tune of agreement that he has sung along with Trump on those matters sets him up as natural for the position.
The name-dropping of the most high-profile allies to have his back echoes that he is dead serious about a presidency that leans into his conservative ideal of governance. While Trump’s VP pick of Vance has been confirmed, any proposed cabinet role for Rubio remains speculation until it is officially announced.
With his 2024 Republican ticket, Trump has underscored a political desire for staunch advocates to move his policy priorities. Over the course of the campaign, a fluid political environment has seen some potential cabinet appointments gain extraordinary attention and interest among the political spectrum.
