President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly planning to name Senator Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State, according to sources cited by The New York Times and other U.S. news outlets. The 53-year-old Republican senator from Florida, known for his strong foreign policy stance, has been tapped for the role as Trump moves to finalize his foreign policy and national security team ahead of his inauguration in January 2025.
Trump had previously considered Rubio for the vice presidency earlier this year, and the senator has a long record in foreign policy, particularly on China and Iran. Rubio, who has served in the Senate since 2010, is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has been an advocate for intervention in foreign conflicts, such as the 2011 Libyan intervention. He also criticized Trump’s 2019 proposals to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria and Afghanistan.
Trump’s initial preference for the Secretary of State role was former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell, but he has now shifted his focus to Rubio. The two were rivals during the 2016 Republican primaries, with Rubio calling Trump a “con artist” and Trump mocking Rubio as “Little Marco.” However, following Trump’s victory, Rubio stated that the U.S. under Trump would pursue a “pragmatic foreign policy” to address growing global challenges, particularly from adversaries like North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia.
In addition to Rubio, Trump is also reportedly considering Mike Waltz, a Republican senator from Florida, for the role of National Security Adviser. Trump has also selected Lee Zeldin, a Republican congressman from New York, to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Zeldin, a Trump ally, is expected to prioritize deregulation while ensuring environmental standards are upheld.
Trump has already announced several key appointments, including Republican Representative Elise Stefanik as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as his “Border Czar.” Trump’s top priorities include selecting individuals for roles such as Attorney General, CIA Director, and Secretaries of Defense, State, and Homeland Security.