I was sitting on the New York City subway reading my favorite commuter paper, amNewYork. If I recall correctly, it was somewhere in mid-2015 when I came across a striking headline: real estate mogul and reality TV icon Donald Trump was announcing his presidential candidacy, boldly promising to build a massive wall on the Mexican border. The city’s then-mayor, Bill de Blasio, reacted with typical progressive contempt, dismissively predicting that Trump didn’t stand a ghost of a chance.
Fast forward to today: Trump completely redefined American history, the wall stands on our southern border, and the only legacy de Blasio left behind is a city plagued by crime — effectively dismantling the law-and-order achievements of legendary mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg.
As the 2026 Republican National Convention convenes in Dallas, it marks the historic starting gun for 2028. The central question for our party is clear: Who possesses the intellectual firepower, political courage, and iron devotion required to succeed Trump and carry his revolution forward?
As a registered Republican, I expect our 2028 standard-bearer to build upon the unbreakable foundation Trump established: fierce protection of our borders, relentless defense of law and order, and powerful pro-growth economic policies. We need a leader who will champion free-market capitalism while waging an uncompromising war against radical socialism and Marxism in America. It means honoring the foundational truths Trump restored to the national conversation: that a biological man is a man, that our law enforcement officers deserve absolute respect, and that American taxpayers deserve small government, lower taxes, and unfettered entrepreneurship. In short, we need someone worthy of advancing the monumentally successful Trump doctrine.
When Trump first disrupted Washington, he didn’t just bring unparalleled energy — he brought a deeply ingrained, decades-old strategic vision. As far back as October 1980 — decades before entering elective politics — Trump was already warning the nation about global threats, particularly the Iranian regime. In office, he executed that vision with precision: crushing maximum-pressure sanctions in his first term, followed by decisive military strength that crippled Tehran’s reign of terror.
Today, as we look at the emerging field for 2028, two prominent leaders stand out as true guardians of this doctrine: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Like Trump, both Cruz and Rubio operate with long-term strategic clarity rather than fleeting political instincts.
Rubio displayed that same foresight. As early as May 2012, at the Council on Foreign Relations, he predicted nuclear talks with Iran would fail and warned that military action would ultimately be necessary if diplomacy and sanctions collapsed — a forecast that proved prescient more than a decade before he became secretary of state. Cruz’s long-term vision predates his Senate career too. As Texas solicitor general, he argued and won Medellin v. Texas (2008) — defeating an attempt by his own party’s president to subordinate state sovereignty to an international court ruling. The case remains a law school staple on constitutional limits of executive and international power.
Anyone who regularly tunes in to Cruz’s podcasts discovers an exceptionally brilliant, deeply principled conservative powerhouse — a leader who unashamedly loves America and puts American sovereignty first. Both Cruz and Rubio embody the core principles of American greatness.
For now, Cruz stands as my primary choice to lead our party, largely because Rubio has yet to declare a bid. Should Rubio enter the race, conservatives will face a monumental choice — one that must be measured against five nonnegotiable pillars:
Pro-growth economics and aggressive deregulation; uncompromising national security and peace through strength; unwavering loyalty to America’s true allies; a relentless fight against wokeness, communism, and radical progressivism; and absolute dedication to expanding Trump’s legacy.
This is the ultimate clash for post-Trump conservatism. Trump redefined our party, but 2028 will decide which governing vision anchors “America First” for decades.
Cruz pairs constitutional originalism and free-market liberty with Trump’s anti-establishment populism. Nothing captures his vision better than his iconic declaration: “Democrats want to abolish ICE; I want to abolish the IRS.”
Rubio represents a working-class coalition with executive experience as secretary of state, taking a hawkish stance on China and Iran.
While Cruz champions deregulation and Rubio leans into targeted industrial policy, both offer disciplined leadership and unwavering support for key allies — not reckless isolationism.
To protect the future of the conservative movement, we must also be clear-eyed about who is unsuited to lead it — starting with JD Vance.
Vance is a young, charismatic politician, but he remains severely lacking in executive experience. Conservatives cannot afford to forget the heavy price America paid when it handed the White House to an inexperienced, young senator like Barack Obama. But Vance’s shortcomings go beyond age and experience; they lie in a fundamental misunderstanding of American strength and projection on the global stage.
His weak and naive posture toward our adversaries was on full display during the high-stakes summit in Switzerland. In an embarrassing blow to American prestige, Vance requested a joint photograph and a basic diplomatic handshake with the Iranian delegation. The regime in Tehran didn’t even bother sending their head of state — sending only their parliamentary speaker and foreign minister — who flatly rejected the request, leaving the vice president of the United States publicly humiliated. When America projects weakness through desperate photo-ops, our enemies respond with contempt. This is not the uncompromising foreign policy of peace through strength — it is a retreat from it.
Even more alarming is Vance’s unapologetic personal friendship and tight alignment with Tucker Carlson. Just days ago, when pressed on Carlson’s rhetoric, Vance defended him openly, declaring, “Tucker is a friend … and I’m not going to throw friends under the bus because I have political disagreements with them.” But when a “friend” chooses to provide a warm, softball interview to an unhinged misogynist and blatant racist like Nick Fuentes — a man who has openly called Adolf Hitler “cool” — it is no longer a mere “political disagreement.” It is far more than a political misstep; it is a direct insult to American heroism.
Tens of thousands of brave American soldiers gave their lives on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day, at Pearl Harbor, and across the battlefields of Europe to crush Hitler’s regime and preserve freedom. Softening the edges of someone who idolizes that very monster isn’t “alternative media” — it is a slap in the face to our fallen heroes and the principles of the Greatest Generation. A true Republican leader for 2028 must draw a firm moral line, refusing to cozy up to those who normalize anti-American rhetoric under the guise of populism or offer excuses for friends who platform anti-American extremists.
The Republican Party stands at a profound crossroads. As we look toward 2028, we need a proven, principled, and intellectually formidable leader to build upon Trump’s legacy.
While Rubio remains a formidable contender should he enter the arena, Cruz currently stands out as the candidate best prepared to lead. He possesses the strength, strategic clarity, and constitutional devotion to unite our party and lead the “America First” movement into a new era of victory and American greatness.
Mendy Glik is a software engineer, political commentator, and columnist for the Jewish Press. He is also a contributor to JNS, focusing on electoral strategy and political analysis.