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A viral clip of Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivering a hopeful vision for America's future while answering a question this week at the White House is stoking more buzz about a possible 2028 presidential bid.
Rubio, in his debut performance at a White House briefing, gave an uplifting answer that noted America's "story of perpetual improvement" when asked about his hope for the country in the years ahead.
Recordings of the Secretary of State's 53-second answer, including a campaign-style video put out by Rubio's team, grabbed tons of views on social media.
The frenzy is understandable, as every move and each comment Rubio makes is often seen as a possible prelude to a potential White House run in the race to succeed his boss, term-limited President Donald Trump.
Rubio, briefing reporters ahead of his current overseas trip, including Thursday's meeting with the Pope at the Vatican amid strained relations due to recent critical comments of the U.S.-born pontiff from Trump, said that his "hope for America is what it’s always been. I think it’s the hope I hope we all share. We want it to continue to be the place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything, where you’re not limited by the circumstances of your birth, by the color of your skin, by your ethnicity, but frankly, it’s a place where you are able to overcome challenges and achieve your full potential."
"I think that should be the goal of every country in the world, frankly, but I think in the US – we’re not perfect. Our history is not one of perfection, but it’s still better than anybody else’s history," Rubio said. "And ours is a story of perpetual improvement. Each generation has left the next generation of Americans freer, more prosperous, safer, and that is our goal as well."
The Secretary of State, who is a devout Catholic, added, "But it is a unique and exceptional country and, as we come upon this 250-year anniversary, I think we have a lot to learn and be proud of in our history. It is one of perpetual and continuous improvement, where each generation has done its part to bring us closer to fulfilling the vision that the founders of this country had upon its founding."
A clip of the comments grabbed over six million views on X.
Rubio's team also put out a minute-long vertical video of the soliloquy that included voice-over video of the Secretary of State, Trump, jets flying over the White House, a diverse mix of Americans, the late President Ronald Reagan, the American flag being raised.
The video, on the Secretary of State's X account, was viewed over three million times and grabbed the attention of some of the biggest names in MAGA world.
Right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who is close to Trump, retweeted the video and said, "Wow! This looks like it could be a launch video for a Presidential campaign. Amazing production quality and vibes."
Meanwhile, Elon Musk retweeted a separate video of the Rubio comments.
Vice President JD Vance has long been seen as the heir apparent to Trump and his MAGA and America First base. While Vance remains the hypothetical clear frontrunner ahead of the start of the 2028 White House race, which won't ignite until after this year's midterm elections, Rubio appears to be on the rise.
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Thanks to an increase in his responsibilities and public profile, more recently around the U.S. operation in Venezuela and the war against Iran, Rubio has seen speculation and support for a possible presidential bid soar in recent months.
Among the most notable evidence is Rubio's strong second-place finish in March in the 2028 Republican presidential nomination straw poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Rubio, who was one of more than a dozen Republican contenders who ran and lost to Trump in the tumultuous 2016 presidential race, grabbed 35% of the vote at CPAC when the straw poll results were announced this past weekend, up from a mere 3% a year earlier.
Vance, who is popular with MAGA and America First groups, finished first at 53%. While the vice president saw his support slightly edge down from 61% last year, Vance's numbers are higher than anyone else in CPAC presidential straw poll history other than Trump.
Rubio insists he'll support Vance if the vice president launches a White House campaign.
"If JD Vance runs for president, he's going to be our nominee, and I'll be one of the first people to support him," Rubio told Vanity Fair late last year.
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Vance, who like Rubio has highlighted his Catholic faith, will likely get plenty of chances next month to spotlight his devotion amid the release of his new book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith."
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Partially fueling Rubio's rise has been Trump, who has lavishly praised his secretary of state.
The president recently declared that Rubio would go down as "the greatest secretary of state in history."
Trump has also promoted a Vance-Rubio ticket — calling it "unstoppable" a few months ago — but has not said who should be at the top of the ticket.
But the president said last year that Vance is "most likely" his heir apparent. "In all fairness, he's the vice president," Trump added.
And Trump, in an interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press" last year, called Vance a "fantastic, brilliant guy"
Trump, who has yet to say whom he would endorse in the race for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, added in that interview, "certainly you would say that somebody’s the V.P., if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage."
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