Tipsheet

Marco Rubio 'Expected' to Be Selected As Secretary of State

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  November 11, 2024 9:20 PM

This article has been updated to include Rubio's pro-Israel/anti-Hamas stance, especially when it comes to interacting with members of Code Pink.

As we've been covering throughout Monday, President-elect Donald Trump has been naming cabinet picks for his second administration. The latest name looks to be Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), with The New York Times reporting on Monday night that Trump is "expected" to select him for such a top role. 

As the report mentioned, making clear the pick may not quite be final yet:

President-elect Donald J. Trump is expected to name Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as his secretary of state, three people familiar with his thinking said on Monday, as Mr. Trump moves rapidly to fill out his foreign policy and national security team.

Mr. Trump could still change his mind at the last minute, the people said, but appeared to have settled on Mr. Rubio, whom he also considered when choosing his running mate this year.

Mr. Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010, and has staked out a position as a foreign policy hawk, taking hard lines on China and Iran in particular.

...

Mr. Rubio was a loyal surrogate for Mr. Trump during the campaign even after being passed over as the vice-presidential pick.

A spokesman for Mr. Rubio declined to comment, and a spokesman for Mr. Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

...

But after Mr. Trump’s 2016 victory, Mr. Rubio went on to patch things up with him, serving as an informal foreign policy adviser and helping to prepare him for his first debate against President Biden in 2020.

The report mentioned how Trump and Rubio have been at odds before, with both men running for the Republican nomination in 2016. Trump had also been considering Rubio as his running mate for this cycle, though he ultimately settled on Vice President-elect JD Vance. There were potential concerns about Trump and Rubio both having Florida as their state of residency.

When it comes to his support for Trump, Rubio has been particularly outspoken against the lawfare against Trump, including from Special Counsel Jack Smith, DA Alvin Bragg when he indicted Trump and when Trump was found guilty in May. Rubio has also had harsh words for Democrats with their Russia collusion hoax for Trump's 2016 win. 

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Not only is he mentioned as being "a foreign policy hawk," but Rubio also holds prestigious positions with his committee assignments as the vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, making him a member of the Gang of Eight on intelligence. He is also the senior member of the Committee on Foreign Relations. 

With news spreading of such a pick, clips from Rubio confronting members of the anti-Israel Code Pink have been circulating once more. Such an interaction took place in late November of last year, as we covered at the time. 

Rubio's not up for reelection until 2028. He handily won reelection in 2022 against former Democrat Rep. Val Demings by close to 16 percentage points, while Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) won reelection that year by close to 20 points. 

Florida has also become a particularly red state in recent years, with Trump and Republican Sen. Rick Scott winning the state by about 13 percentage points last week. Republicans won enough seats last Tuesday to gain control the Senate, and will have a majority with 53 seats for the next Congress.