JD Vance and Marco Rubio Accused of Leaking Key White House Info to Press — as Duo Looks to 'Distance' Themselves From Trump
A progressive commentator accused JD Vance and Marco Rubio of leaking to major newspapers as they look toward 2028.
Nov. 13 2026, Published 7:10 p.m. ET
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are facing allegations that they have been leaking internal White House information to major news outlets as speculation grows about their potential political ambitions ahead of the 2028 presidential election, RadarOnline.com can report.
Emma Vigeland, co-host of The Majority Report, alleged that the two Trump allies are using the leaks to distance themselves from President Donald Trump as they position themselves for a possible White House run.
Allegations of Leaks
Vance and Rubio have been accused of leaking information to the press.
Vigeland accused Rubio and Vance of providing information to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, writing on X, "Rubio and Vance are leaking to the WSJ and NYT like crazy. Distancing themselves for 2028."
She pointed to coverage of Rubio's conversations with Trump about China and an alleged spy, as well as reports describing Vance as having resisted the Iran war.
Vigeland suggested the coverage could help both men establish foreign policy positions distinct from the president.
However, the allegations that either official is behind the leaks have not been independently established.
JD Vance Weighs Sitting Out 2028
Vance is said to be considering a 2028 run, but it might not be his time, a source claimed.
Both Vance and Rubio have been discussed as potential Republican contenders in 2028, with their handling of controversies surrounding the Trump administration drawing additional attention.
Vance is considering whether to forgo a 2028 presidential campaign, according to roughly a dozen allies and advisers who spoke with CNN.
One person close to Vance said, "I wouldn't be surprised by any decision he makes. He's only 42. He's young enough that he can have a comeback should this environment make success impossible. It just may not be his time."
Marco Rubio Rejects Early Exit Talk
Rubio rejected rumors he will be bailing on his job early.
Meanwhile, Rubio is pushing back against speculation that he plans to leave the administration early to prepare a 2028 bid.
In an interview with a publication, the 55-year-old said remaining through the end of Trump’s second term has always been his plan, "I don't know where these things come from, to be honest with you… I love the work I'm doing."
Asked about 2028, he replied, "I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore. I just won't do it."
Rubio joked about reports of an early departure, "And plus, I always laugh when they say he's going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'"
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Marco Rubio Would Beat JD Vance In Republican Primary, Per Poll
Rubio is more liked by Republicans than Vance by like 2 percentage points, according to a poll.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on November 12 found Rubio slightly ahead of Vance among Republican voters rating potential 2028 candidates.
Forty-five percent of Republicans called Rubio an "excellent" presidential candidate, compared with 43 percent for Vance.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received 32 percent.
The survey of 1,705 U.S. adults, including roughly 500 registered voters from each party, was completed November 9 and carried a margin of error of 5 percentage points for partisan subgroups.
Neither man has formally launched a campaign. Rubio has previously pledged to support Vance if the vice president runs, while Trump has floated a possible Vance-Rubio ticket but told 60 Minutes he would "not necessarily" endorse in the primary.
On the Democratic side, Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg each received "excellent" ratings from 29 percent of Democratic voters.
