Politics

Trump officially taps Marco Rubio to be secretary of state

By
Samuel Chamberlain and
Ryan King
Published Nov. 13, 2024
Updated Nov. 13, 2024, 3:44 p.m. ET

President-elect Donald Trump ended days of speculation Wednesday by announcing he would nominate Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state who, if confirmed, will become the first Latino to serve in that position.

The Florida Republican, once considered a contender to be Trump’s 2024 running mate, has extensive foreign policy experience under his belt — having served as the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 

“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom. 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,” Trump said in a statement added. “I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!”

Marco Rubio
Trump has officially tapped Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state. AFP via Getty Images

Rubio’s pending nomination was first reported by the New York Times Monday, but the delay in an official announcement spurred speculation that the 78-year-old Trump was having second thoughts. Several allies of Trump had floated Ric Grenell, the former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence, as an alternative.

However, a source close to the president-elect’s transition team told The Post Tuesday that the choice of Rubio was “solid,” while Senate Republican aides affirmed the pick was all but official in lieu of an announcement from Trump himself.

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The Sunshine State senator said Wednesday he was “honored” to have been tapped to carry out the “tremendous responsibility” of serving as secretary of state. 

Donald Trump
Trump called Rubio a “fearless warrior.” POOL/AFP via Getty Images

“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,” he wrote on X.

Trump, 78, and Rubio, 53, feuded bitterly in the 2016 Republican presidential primary contest, during which the future president branded the senator “Little Marco.”

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In the time since, however, the two have mended fences, with Rubio moving toward Trump’s views on certain issues such as Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia — even publicly suggesting that it is time to end the bloody conflict. 

Rumors of Rubio landing the secretary of state role had quickly garnered bipartisan praise, including from Democrats like Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the outgoing chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

“I have worked with Marco Rubio for more than a decade on the Intelligence Committee, particularly closely in the last couple of years in his role as Vice Chairman, and while we don’t always agree, he is smart, talented, and will be a strong voice for American interests around the globe,” Warner said in a statement. 

“Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own. That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation,” Fetterman wrote on X earlier this week.

The secretary of state position is the third highest-ranking position in the executive branch after the president and vice president. The role is also fourth in the line of succession to serve as president, after the speaker of the House.

Rubio’s nomination carries on a trend of Trump staffing his next administration with China hawks, with Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) tapped to serve as national security adviser. 

Other key foreign policy-related picks by Trump include Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as US ambassador to the United Nations, former Democrat-turned-GOP Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence and former DNI John Ratcliffe to helm the CIA.