Marco Rubio, the longer-tenured of Florida’s two United States senators, has been named as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of State. He will resign his Senate seat, triggering an appointment by Gov. Ron DeSantis who will serve until at least 2026.
If confirmed by the Senate, Rubio would be the highest-ranking Trump cabinet member aside from Vice President-elect JD Vance. He’d be fourth in line to the presidency, following the Vice President, Speaker of the House, and the President pro tempore of the Senate. In his regular job duties, Rubio would be among the president’s chief advisors on matters relating to foreign policy and immigration.
Marco Rubio at a Glance
Rubio has been in the Senate since 2010, beating Democrat Kendrick Keek and Independent Charlie Crist that year. He then won his first re-election bid in 2016 when he bested Democrat Patrick Murphy. He secured a third term in 2022 by defeating Democrat Val Demings. Prior to the Senate, he was a member of the Florida legislature from 2000 to 2008, ascending to Florida Speaker of the House.
In 2016 Rubio ran for president in the Republican primary, emerging as one of the closer competitors to Trump’s steady dominance. He started more civil toward Trump than many other Republican hopefuls, before later starting the now-common joke about Trump’s supposedly small hands. “You know what they say about men with small hands,” Rubio said at one point, referring to genitalia size. “You can’t trust them.”
The 2016 Rubio campaign ended with him winning Minnesota, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Trump coined him ‘Little Marco’ and dealt the fatal blow by winning Rubio’s home state of Florida, leading to Rubio suspending his bid.
Foreign Policy Experience and Positions
The Secretary of State is a position which by its importance necessitates continuity, and so most recent administrations have held only one or two officials in the job for their duration. Antony Blinken has been Secretary of State for the entirety of President Joe Biden’s administration, confirmed easily by the Senate in 2021.
Prior to this appointment, Rubio has picked up foreign policy experience serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. He was also Chair of the Joint China Commission from 2017 to 2019, and has been a vocal critic of the People’s Republic of China government throughout his tenure. He called them a ‘geo-economic threat’ in 2021, and supports increasing military presence in the area.
On the issue of the Israel-Hamas war, Rubio supports the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in their campaign to eliminate the militant group Hamas from the region. He opposes calls for a ceasefire even in the face of tens of thousands of civilian casualties, saying he wants the IDF to continue until Hamas is vanquished.
Concerning the Russo-Ukrainian War, Rubio has called for a quick end to the fighting and holds doubt in the Ukrainian military’s ability to achieve a decisive victory over the Russians. He cast his vote against a $6 billion aid package for Ukraine, likely one of the last major actions by the Biden administration to support their efforts before Trump takes office. In defending his stance, Rubio said he agrees Ukrainian independence is in the United States’ interest, but downplayed its importance amidst other territorial disputes happening globally.
The Significance of Rubio’s Appointment
If he’s confirmed, Rubio would become the first Hispanic secretary of state in American history. His parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba just before the Castro regime, with his grandfather later following as an undocumented immigrant. Other members of Rubio’s family were received into the United States as refugees.
“Marco is a highly respected leader, and a very powerful voice for freedom,” Trump said of Rubio. “He will be a strong advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.”
“Leading the U.S. Department of State is a tremendous responsibility and I am honored by the trust President Trump has placed in me,” Rubio said in response. “As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else.”
