The Florida senator was among the names considered as a running mate for Trump prior to his selection of JD Vance
Donald Trump plans to choose Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as his secretary of state, the New York Times reported on Monday.
Four years after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, Trump has repeatedly stated that he will be returning to the White with a literal agenda to prosecute his political opponents. Following his win over Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump has begun choosing which of his loyalists to reward with a powerful appointment or Cabinet position.
Citing people familiar with Trump's plans, the Times said the president-elect's decision could still change but he appears to have settled on Rubio. The Florida senator, a rising star in the Republican party, was among the names considered as a possible running mate for Trump prior to his selection of Ohio Senator. JD Vance.
Rubio was first elected to Congress nearly 14 years ago. In 2016, he entered the GOP primaries in a race that saw the Florida senator and Trump exchange verbal insults. In response to Trump calling Rubio “little Marco,” the senator called Trump a “con artist” and said that he has “small hands.”
The name-calling appears to be water under the bridge, however, and following Trump's victory last week, Rubio said that the US is entering a period of “pragmatic foreign policy.”
The ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Rubio cited threats from the closer ties of Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, stating that the US would need to “very pragmatic and wise in how we invest overseas and what we do, how we approach things.”