WASHINGTON (AP) — The earliest signals of a presidential race normally involve such subtle and behind-the-scenes positioning from candidates that it’s been dubbed in political circles as the “shadow primary.”But the early Republican race to succeed President Donald Trump in just over two years’ time seems to be already playing out in one of the most public forums possible: the White House press briefing room.Vice President JD Vance, who is seen as one of the GOP’s strongest potential candidates for president in 2028, stepped up to the lectern on Tuesday, holding the spotlight for 54 minutes as he took questions from reporters.It was five minutes longer than the turn taken two weeks ago by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the person currently seen as Vance’s possible chief rival — or running mate — in 2028.Vance and Rubio were tapped to fill in as temporary replacements for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. The chance to parry questions before news cameras on a wide range of subjects was a high-profile opportunity to reintroduce themselves to the public and try to make a nascent case that they should be elected commander-in-chief.
But most importantly for any Republican seeking to run for office these days, it was a chance to try to perform well on television, a skill prized by Trump, whose endorsement can still make or break a candidate in a GOP primary.
