Trump Leans on Marco Rubio for Secretary of State Committee: Report

On By Littum

WASHINGTON (TNND) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, according to a new report.

The New York Times reports that while Trump “could change his mind at the last minute,” he appears to have tapped Rubio as he works to fill out his foreign policy and national security team. It is not yet clear whether Trump has officially offered Rubio the role.

Rubio was a name previously mentioned when Trump was searching for his vice presidential candidate. Despite the decision to go with JD Vance, Rubio campaigned for Trump in his bid for the White House and mentioned that he would be interested in joining Trump’s cabinet if the role fit.

Elected to the Senate in 2010, Rubio is known to be a “foreign policy hawk” when it comes to China and Iran, the Times reports.

He previously served as an informal foreign policy adviser to Trump and even helped him prepare for his 2020 debate with President Joe Biden. Trump and Rubio were previously considered rivals in the 2016 Florida primary. During the campaign, Trump called Rubio “Little Rubio” and Rubio fired back, commenting on Trump’s manhood during a debate.

In the Senate, Rubio is sitting in the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The news that Trump is working quickly to round out his cabinet comes as no surprise, as the president-elect has many goals for his first days in office.

Trump has asked Rep. Mike WaltzR-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser, a person familiar with the matter said Monday.

He added Tom Homan to his cabinet as border tsar on Monday. Homan was Trump’s former acting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement director.

The president-elect pressed Lee Zeldin as administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin is a former congressman from New York.

He also tapped longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, to be deputy director of policy. New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik also accepted Trump’s offer to become the country’s next US ambassador to the UN.

Trump’s first choice was Susie Wiles, the leader of his campaign. Wiles will serve as his White House chief of staff.