Trump taps Cuban American Marco Rubio to lead the US State Department

Putting an extremity to days of speculation, United States President-elect Donald Trump nominated Florida Senator Marco Rubio to lead nan State Department nether nan incoming administration.

The prime of his erstwhile governmental rival had been rumoured for days and signals nan caller administration’s committedness to a hawkish overseas policy.

A Cuban American known for his hardline views connected China and staunch support for Israel, Rubio would beryllium nan first Hispanic American to service arsenic Washington’s apical diplomat if confirmed to nan role.

“Marco is simply a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump wrote successful a connection announcing his prime connected Wednesday. “He will beryllium a beardown Advocate for our Nation, a existent friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will ne'er backmost down to our adversaries.”

In a station connected X, Rubio said that he is “honored by nan spot President Trump has placed successful me”.

“Under nan activity of President Trump we will present bid done spot and ever put nan interests of Americans and America supra each else,” he added.

Leading nan U.S. Department of State is simply a tremendous work and I americium honored by nan spot President Trump has placed successful me. As Secretary of State, I will activity each time to transportation retired his overseas argumentation agenda. Under nan activity of President Trump we will present peace…

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 13, 2024

Trump besides tapped erstwhile Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to service arsenic head of nationalist intelligence, a powerful position that sits atop nan nation’s spy agencies and acts arsenic nan president’s apical intelligence adviser.

“I cognize Tulsi will bring nan fearless tone that has defined her illustrious profession to our intelligence community, championing our law authorities and securing bid done strength,” Trump said successful a statement.

Gabbard is simply a seasoned who served for much than 2 decades successful nan Army National Guard fand deployed to Iraq and Kuwait. But she doesn’t person nan emblematic intelligence acquisition of past officeholders. She sought nan Democratic information for president successful 2020 connected a progressive level and her guidance to US engagement successful overseas subject conflicts.

After leaving nan Democratic Party, she became progressively captious of President Joe Biden and his management and grew celebrated among conservatives, often appearing connected far-right TV and power shows, wherever she became known for supporting isolationist policies and showing disdain for “wokeness”.

President-elect Donald Trump and erstwhile US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard embrace, joined by Tucker Carlson connected shape astatine a run arena sponsored by blimpish group Turning Point USA [Carlos Barria/ REUTERS] 

From ‘Little Marco’ to Secretary of State

Since his predetermination to nan US Senate successful 2010, Rubio has staked retired a estimation for holding hawkish views connected US adversaries specified arsenic China, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. He has besides staunchly backed Israel’s warfare successful Gaza, telling a bid activistic past twelvemonth that Hamas was “100 percent to blame” for nan deaths of Palestinians successful nan enclave.

“I want them to destruct each constituent of Hamas they tin get their hands on,” Rubio said successful a confrontation pinch Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin successful December.

“These group are vicious animals who did horrifying crimes, and I dream you guys station that because that’s my position.”

Rubio presently serves connected nan Senate Select Committee connected Intelligence and nan Committee connected Foreign Relations.

His narration pinch Trump has shifted importantly since nan 2 first faced disconnected successful nan 2016 statesmanlike superior and Rubio appears to person adapted his views connected issues specified arsenic nan warfare successful Ukraine and migration policies to Trump’s.

In 2016, Trump famously mocked Rubio’s beingness stature, branding him “Little Marco”. For his part, Rubio derided his rival, calling him “Small Hands Trump”.

Compared to his soon-to-be boss, Rubio is much of a accepted interventionist erstwhile it comes to overseas policy, advocating for a muscular attack to overseas conflicts while Trump’s overseas argumentation has focused connected avoiding subject interventions abroad.

This has, astatine times, moved Rubio to publically criticise Trump’s overseas policy, including successful 2019 erstwhile he accused nan then-president of “abandoning” nan US subject effort successful Syria earlier it was “completely finished”.

Rubio heads a group of like-minded Cuban Americans successful Congress seeking to prod US overseas argumentation successful Latin America successful a much blimpish direction.

“The tyrants successful Havana, Caracas and Managua will not slumber today,” wrote a chap Cuban American Republican from Miami, US Representative Carlos Gimenez successful a station connected X. “Their days are numbered. Their clip is up.”

Aligning pinch Trump

However, successful caller years, experts said, Rubio has softened his stance to autumn successful statement pinch Trump.

“Rubio is simply a elastic and pragmatic leader who has accommodated himself to nan emergence of President Trump,” Paul Musgrave, an subordinate professor of authorities astatine Georgetown University successful Qatar, told Al Jazeera.

In nan first months aft Russia’s full-scale penetration successful February 2022, for instance, Rubio took to societal media to fervently rally support for Ukraine among Americans. He labelled Russian President Vladimir Putin “a killer” and questioned his intelligence wellness – a important departure from Trump’s astatine times deferential attack to nan Russian leader.

In caller interviews, Rubio has suggested Ukraine needs to activity “a negotiated settlement” pinch Russia, and he was 1 of 15 Republican senators to ballot against a subject assistance package for Ukraine that passed successful April.

But immoderate Trump loyalists position Rubio pinch suspicion.

Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi reported that location has been an “uproar” among immoderate of nan president-elect’s staunchest supporters complete Rubio’s appointment.

“He’s seen pinch awesome suspicion among nan Trump base, but astatine nan aforesaid time, he’s surely charmed Donald Trump,” Rattansi said.