Media reports: Marco Rubio could become Secretary of State
American media assumes that Donald Trump will appoint Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. They reported first New York Times and the broadcaster NBC about it, with reference to people familiar with the matter. Trump could still change his mind, but he has probably already decided on Rubio. In doing so, Trump would give a former rival one of the most important positions in his second term.
Rubio has been in the US Senate since 2011 and unsuccessfully tried to become the Republican presidential candidate in 2016 – but failed in the primary campaign against Trump, who insulted him at the time. Since Trump first moved into the White House, the senator from Florida has been one of his most passionate supporters. This year he was said to have been on the shortlist for the running mate before Trump chose JD Vance. Rubio campaigned heavily for Trump and helped Trump reach out to Latino communities.
Rubio sees China as the biggest foreign policy threat, saying it is “the most powerful adversary the United States has faced in a long time,” he wrote in a report published in September. At the same time, he is considered a strong supporter of NATO.
Rubio supports Israel’s war in Gaza and attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. He also defends Trump’s stance on quickly ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calls for negotiations that could lead to Kiev giving up areas occupied by Russian troops. “I’m not on Russia’s side – but unfortunately the reality is that the war in Ukraine will end with a negotiated solution,” Rubio said on NBC in September.
As a long-serving senator, Rubio would likely be quickly confirmed by the chamber. This would create a vacancy in the Senate, allowing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint someone to the open seat.
Read Fabian Fellmann’s text on Trump’s personnel decisions so far – and what he can actually do on his first day in office (SZ Plus):