The State Department is pushing back on a report that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could step down in an effort to start plotting a 2028 presidential bid away from the Trump administration.
“This is completely baseless fake news from made-up anonymous ‘sources,’” Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, wrote in a post to X on Thursday in response to an article from the Independent.
Johnson further called the story a “completely fabricated hoax.” The report from the U.K.-based publication cited “sources in Washington and the UK government.”
The former Florida senator previously sought the presidency during the 2016 Republican primary, and he has since become one of the most high-profile figures of Trump's second term in office.
This is completely baseless fake news from made-up anonymous "sources." It is unsurprising that this completely fabricated hoax is being peddled by @AndrewFeinberg — who recently worked for a Russian state-owned media outlet. We look forward to revisiting this "report" in the coming weeks to celebrate yet another humiliating own goal by The Independent.
— Dylan Johnson (@ASDylanJohnson) November 5, 2026
Speculation about changes within the administration have hit a breaking point after the midterm elections, as Republicans faced massive losses at the federal, state and local levels nationwide.
The president has made no public indication that he would shake up his cabinet after the election, in which the cost-of-living and the gas prices related to conflict with the Iran were considered among the top issues for voters.
“I have every intention to keep him," the president told ABC News regarding War Secretary Pete Hegseth, later adding that he gets "these calls, you know, about him. I don't understand why.”
However, there has been speculation that Hegseth could be considered an appointed replacement for Tennesee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who will soon be the state's governor, according to The Hill. Townhall has not independently confirmed the speculation.
“I think he’s doing a very good job, and I actually think he’d be very popular if he did that. But I haven’t heard that at all," Trump said, the outlet reported.
Trump told me this morning he intends to keep Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary: “I have every intention to keep him.” Trump acknowledged receiving calls from people unhappy with Hegseth, but said, “I get these calls, you know, about him. I don't understand why.” He also acknowledged it would be easier to confirm a new Defense Secretary before the Democrats take over the Senate in January.
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) November 5, 2026
The end of the midterms cycle marks the unofficial start of the 2028 presidential cycle, as hopefuls of both parties could begin launching campaigns and exploratory committees in the coming months before the primaries kick off.
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