A single photo from Donald Trump’s war room has set Washington buzzing and raised fresh questions about who he really sees as his political heir in 2028. Images released by the White House over the weekend showed Trump watching the US military operation against Venezuela from his Mar-a-Lago club. The mission ended with the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. But it was not the strike itself that caught the internet’s attention. It was who was standing closest to Trump and who was nowhere to be seen.
In the photos, Trump is flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. One major absence jumped out immediately: Vice President JD Vance. Online speculation exploded almost instantly, with users questioning whether the carefully staged image hinted at a surprise succession plan
Have you noticed that JD Vance isn’t here ?? Was he even aware about the upcoming attack ??
Trump didn’t want him close by, he doesn’t trust him. But @marcorubio was there, so he is his true successor.
Congratulations @realDonaldTrump 👏🏼👏🏼
— Business & Law (@BusinessNLaw) January 3, 2026
“Notice that Marco Rubio is the one helping President Trump make the big decisions. JD Vance is noticeably absent from the photo,” one X user wrote while sharing the image. Another was even more blunt. “The VP is always invited to big meetings & operations like this. Literally his job. The fact that he’s missing is a major red flag for me.” A third commenter piled on. “In case anyone hasn’t noticed, JD Vance is missing in action. How is he going to be the anointed successor when his faction has been totally sidelined?”
Vance’s team quickly pushed back on the chatter. Speaking to News Nation, aides insisted the vice president was “deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest.” They said Vance met Trump “briefly” at the Trump golf club in West Palm Beach on Friday to discuss the operation. However, they acknowledged he was not present at Mar-a-Lago as the mission unfolded. According to his team, security concerns kept him away.
The most striking detail in the photographs is the absence of Vice President JD Vance, with attention instead shifting to Marco Rubio as Trump’s primary influence on major decisions. https://t.co/WXq3QcntTD
— Defence Matrix (@Defencematrix1) January 4, 2026
“The National Security team was concerned a late-night motorcade movement by the Vice President while the operation was getting underway may tip off the Venezuelans.” Instead, they said, Vance joined the meeting through a secure video link and returned to Cincinnati once the operation concluded. “Due to increased security concerns, the Administration has aimed to limit the frequency and duration of the Vice President and President being co-located away from the White House,” Vance’s team added.
Still, the Rubio speculation has fuel behind it. Back in October, Trump openly floated the secretary of state as a potential future contender while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. “We have great people, I don’t have to get into that but we have one of them standing right here,” Trump said, gesturing toward Rubio. Rubio laughed and shook his head, but Trump continued. “We have JD, obviously. The vice president is great, I think Marco’s great. I’m not sure if anybody would run against us. I think if they ever formed a group it would be unstoppable.” One photo. One missing face. And suddenly, the 2028 race looks wide open.
