President-elect Trump on Wednesday made official his choice to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as secretary of State, slotting his former rival into his administration’s top diplomatic role.
Trump in a statement praised Rubio as 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,” he added.
Rubio’s selection to serve in Trump’s Cabinet completes a drastic turnaround from 2016, when the two were fierce rivals in a GOP presidential primary and exchanged personal insults.
Earlier this year, Trump nearly chose Rubio as his running mate before selecting Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).
The Florida senator is seen as a foreign policy hawk who is tough on China and Iran. In a September interview with NBC, Rubio said it was apparent the war between Ukraine and Russia would end “with a negotiated settlement.”
Trump has vowed to quickly restore his “America First” foreign policy vision upon taking office. He has expressed skepticism about continued U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and called for European allies to do more to aid Kyiv and to support their own defense through the NATO alliance.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have given the Rubio choice a warm reception since it was first reported late Monday. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) signaled he would vote to confirm Rubio, and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) called Rubio “smart, talented” and “a strong voice for American interests around the globe.”
Rubio’s selection comes as Trump has rapidly rolled out his national security team after winning last week’s election. He has chosen Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as his ambassador to the United Nations and tapped Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) to serve as his national security adviser. Trump also tapped Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as his nominee to lead the Pentagon.
