Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida and U.S. secretary of state nominee for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, throughout a gathering with Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, not pictured, on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10, 2024.
Al Drago/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures
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Al Drago/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures
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Who: Marco Rubio
Nominated for: secretary of state
You may know him from: The Senate and the 2016 Republican presidential major race, when Trump dubbed him “Little Marco” and Rubio warned voters to not help Trump, saying “friends do not let friends vote for con artists.”
Extra about Rubio:
- He can be the primary Latino within the put up.
- He’s identified for hawkish stances on China, Cuba and Venezuela.
- His interventionist international coverage positions put him at odds with Trump.
What does this position do: The secretary of state is fourth in line of succession to the president and the highest Cupboard place. The secretary oversees U.S. international coverage.
Watch Rubio’s affirmation listening to scheduled for 10 a.m. ET:
Amongst President-elect Donald Trump’s Cupboard picks, secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio might face the simplest affirmation course of. He’s a longtime member of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, so he’s well-known by the lawmakers who can be questioning him Wednesday at 10 a.m.
If confirmed, the 53-year-old Florida Republican can be the primary Latino to function America’s prime diplomat. Born in Florida, the son of Cuban immigrants was first elected senator in 2010 and gained a popularity as a hawkish voice on China, Cuba, Venezuela and Iran.
His relations with Trump have been uneasy. In 2016, Rubio informed voters they need to not again Trump as candidate for president, saying “friends do not let friends vote for con artists.” Trump dismissed him as “Little Marco,” although Rubio grew to become a fixture on the marketing campaign path in 2024.
He might face some powerful questions on why he voted in opposition to assist to Ukraine final 12 months, regardless of his earlier positions on Russia’s conflict there. He might also face questions on how his interventionist international coverage views conflict with Trump’s positions.
China has imposed sanctions on Rubio, which may make journey there tough. Rubio has accused China of a “grotesque campaign of genocide” in opposition to Uyghur Muslims and he wrote laws that banned imports from the Xinjiang area. This human rights advocacy has put him at odds with Trump ally Elon Musk, who opened a Tesla dealership in Xinjiang quickly after Rubio’s Uyghur Pressured Labor Prevention Act was signed into regulation in 2021.
The outgoing Biden administration has made it a precedence to construct up alliances in Asia to counter China’s rise. On the State Division, Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrange “China House,” an workplace that pulls on consultants throughout the U.S. authorities to deal with China. Which may be one workplace that Rubio will wish to preserve.
The secretary of state oversees U.S. international coverage, however Trump has already chipped away at among the job of America’s prime diplomat, by tapping quite a few particular envoys for Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon. He has additionally named a longtime international coverage adviser, Richard Grenell, who had been within the operating for secretary of state, to function envoy for “special missions.” “Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea,” Trump mentioned in a posting on his social media platform, Reality Social, asserting the appointment.
