Marco Rubio rejects reports he will quit Donald Trump's administration to run for President

Marco Rubio has rejected reports he will quit President Donald Trump's administration to run for President in 2028.

The Secretary of State said working for the President until the end of his second term has "always been my plan."

Republican figures are already speculating who the party's candidate could be at the next Presidential election in the aftermath of brutal losses for the GOP at this week's midterms.

Mr Rubio, who is also Mr Trump’s national security adviser, declined to answer questions about whether he was considering running for president in 2028.

Responding to reports he was considering an exit, Mr Rubio told the New York Times: "I don’t know where these things come from, to be honest with you.

"I love the work I’m doing, plus I always laugh when they say he’s going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'

"I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore. I just won’t do it."

When Mr Rubio was asked who he would be supporting in 2028, the Secretary said he would throw his weight behind Vice President JD Vance if he ran for President.

Speaking to NBC News in May, Mr Rubio said: "JD is a very good friend of mine. If JD runs for president, I think he’d be a phenomenal candidate.

"I’ve said publicly, and I’ll say it again, I’ll be the first person to sign up and support him."

The Vice President came under fire from some in the GOP after he publicly questioned whether the Iran war was worth it and said it cost Republicans control of Congress.

When asked if he agreed with the Vice President's comments, Mr Rubio initially deflected, saying he was not "really involved in domestic politics."

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Pressed about the issue in relation to the GOP's defeat, Mr Rubio said: "Higher prices at the gas pump, I acknowledge, is not like the kind of thing you campaign on and brag about."

He added that "[President Trump] deserves a tremendous amount of credit" for taking action he thought was necessary, even if it was not popular with voters.

The Secretary of State said: "Ultimately, that is the price of leadership: the willingness to do things that may not be politically popular or expedient but are necessary for your country and its long-term future."

Whoever emerges within the Republican Party as the frontrunner for 2028 will face the task of keeping President Trump's Maga base onside while rebuilding the broader coalition that powered his 2024 victory.

Exit polls on Tuesday showed that key constituencies of that coalition, including younger voters, Hispanics and some Black men, have now deserted the GOP.

Vice President Vance has said there is "a chance" he will not run, citing family considerations, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination against President Trump in 2024, has declined to rule out another White House bid.

Other Republicans viewed as potential candidates include Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.