Trump Set To Name Marco Rubio As Secretary Of State: Reports
President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to name Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as his secretary of state, The New York Times and Reuters reported Monday night.
The Times, citing people familiar with Trump’s plans, said his decision could still change but appears to have firmed up after he considered naming Rubio his running mate before settling on Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).
Rubio was a fierce and loyal backer of Trump during the 2024 campaign. If confirmed, he will be the first Latino to serve in the role.
Rubio would enter the Trump administration with a full plate as the U.S. continues to deal with crises in Ukraine and Israel. The senator told NBC in September that the only way Russia’s war with Ukraine will end would be a “negotiated settlement.” And he voted against military aid package to help the besieged nation in April, Reuters noted.
“I’m not on Russia’s side — but, unfortunately, the reality of it is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is with a negotiated settlement,” Rubio told NBC in September.
Trump and Rubio had a testy relationship during the president-elect’s first run for office, when the senator also vied for the White House. But Rubio went on to serve as an informal policy adviser during Trump’s first term and last June helped him prepare for his debate against President Joe Biden.
The reported decision will further firm up Trump’s orbit of national security officials. The president-elect has named Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) as his national security adviser, tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as his ambassador to the United Nations, selected former immigration official Tom Homan as his border czar and installed adviser Stephen Miller as the White House deputy chief of staff.
