Donald Trump to name Marco Rubio as secretary of state – reports
Earlier this year, Mr Rubio was one of 15 Republican senators to vote against a $95bn military aid package to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia
Donald Trump is expected to name Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, according to US media reports.
Mr Trump, who will be inaugurated on 20 January 2025, could still change his mind about the appointment, three sources familiar with the selection process have told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.
The secretary of state serves as the president’s chief foreign affairs adviser and the country’s top diplomat.
The New York Times was the first to report that Mr Trump plans to select Mr Rubio for the position.
During Mr Trump’s first term in the White House between 2017 and 2021, Mr Rubio co-sponsored legislation that would make it harder for the then-president to withdraw from the NATO alliance.
Earlier this year he was one of 15 Republican senators to vote against a $95bn (£74bn) military aid package to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, which was eventually passed in April.
Mr Rubio, who would be the first Latino to hold the role, was arguably the most hawkish option on Mr Trump’s shortlist for secretary of state.
In the past, the 53-year-old has advocated for muscular foreign policy with respect to the US’ geopolitical rivals, including China, Iran and Cuba.
However, over the last several years he has softened some of his stances to align more closely with Mr Trump’s views.
The president-elect accuses past White House administrations of leading America into costly and futile wars and has pushed for a more restrained foreign policy.
The new administration will confront a world more volatile and dangerous than it was when Mr Trump first took office in 2017, with wars now raging in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Who is in and who is out in Trump’s top team?
The Ukraine crisis will be high on Mr Rubio’s agenda.
Mr Rubio has said in recent interviews that Ukraine needs to seek a negotiated settlement with Russia rather than focus on regaining all territory that Russia has taken in the last decade.
“I’m not on Russia’s side – but unfortunately the reality of it is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is with a negotiated settlement,” Mr Rubio said in September.
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Meanwhile, after it was reported Mr Rubio could be set to become secretary of state, a Trump ally told NBC News: “While Marco is a little more hawkish than the incoming president and vice president, he’s actually not as far away from them as many people might assume at first blush.
“He’s become far more aligned with the president on issues regarding tariffs. He has a similar stand on the China issue, and he even voted against the last round of Ukraine funding.”
If China was hoping to avoid a protracted trade war with the US, then the potential appointment of Senator Marco Rubio as his top diplomat would likely dash their hopes.
Mr Rubio is a China hawk, if he’s tapped as secretary of state it could set the stage for a US-China economic war. He’s already on Beijing’s radar.
In 2020, Mr Rubio was one of a handful of US lawmakers sanctioned by the Chinese government for “behaving badly on Hong Kong-related issues”.
Mr Rubio has also supported US legislation that aimed to limit China’s influence in electric vehicle production in the US.
In the past Mr Rubio has warned about China’s global monopoly on the supply of critical minerals, he may try to further break that chokehold.
Critical minerals are the rare earth elements used in products like lithium batteries, solar panels and electric vehicles.
Whoever gets the job, China’s President Xi Jinping has already told President-elect Donald Trump, “history tells us that both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation”.
Mr Rubio’s selection holds domestic as well as international significance.
Mr Trump beat Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 5 November election in part by winning over large numbers of Latinos, who had voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in previous election cycles.
By selecting Mr Rubio for a key policy role, Mr Trump may help consolidate gains among Latinos and make clear that they have a place at the highest levels of his administration.
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Mr Rubio also was one of three final contenders for Mr Trump’s vice-presidential pick.
The president-elect ultimately chose US Senator JD Vance of Ohio, a hard-right figure who is known for his isolationist foreign policy positions.
Mr Rubio is not the first Trump administration appointment to be reported following the election.
The incoming president has announced Representative Mike Waltz as his national security adviser, while his presidential campaign manager Susie Wiles will become his chief of staff.
On Sunday, he named immigration hard-liner Tom Homan as his “border czar”.
