President-elect , Donald Trump’s election of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL ) to get his secretary of state hats a yearslong change of their relationship from when they first crossed paths during the 2016 Republican presidential primary.
Rubio, at the time one of the GOP’s brightest, rising stars, often referred to Trump as a” fraud artist” with” little hands”. In the present day, Rubio has realigned himself to be one of the president-elect’s best caregivers, fighting for Trump’s 2024 pay in the last days of his plan.
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” Donald Trump, a fraud actor, will never get command of this party”, he declared at a 2016 campaign rally in Dallas, Texas. ” Friends do n’t let friends vote for con artists”.
But after being dubbed” Little Marco” by then-candidate Trump, Rubio’s voting plummeted, and he later endorsed Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention.
In a video message at the 2016 agreement, Rubio called for the party to” travel up and fight for a new path for America” while praising Trump for his thoughts on income, the defense, and appointing conservative judges.
In the last bend of the 2024 pattern, Rubio’s change from one of Trump’s most outspoken critics to one of his main supporters was on full screen.
Rubio strongly defended the Democratic nominee when he showed up at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania shortly after a joke that a comedian told at his Madison Square Garden rally sparked outcry.
Rubio, who spoke in Spanish as Allentown has a strongly Puerto Rican area, said Trump has the most “fascinating, most various coalition of Americans from every culture, every race, every walk of life in modern American political history”.
In a nod to the nation’s immigrant roots, Rubio continued,” American has never been a body color, American has never been where your kids are born… British is anyone who is ok, who believes that our freedom come from God, family is more important than state, and this is the greatest country in the history of the world.”
Despite their rocky beginnings, Rubio became a sort of informal advisor on foreign policy, particularly those involving South and Central America and China, during Trump’s first administration.
John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, said in an interview with USA Today that Rubio’s straightforward focus on policy ingratiated , him to the Trump team.
” Rubio and Trump seemed to have a good personal relationship, and Marco just made the case very calmly and persuasively”, Bolton claimed. ” I believe it did affect Trump,” he said.
Marc Short, former Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, added that Trump “always embraces converts” and noted that Rubio “was somebody who was always eager to work with the administration”.
According to Trump world insiders, the president-elect and Rubio further strengthened their relationship over the summer.
Rubio had been on Trump’s shortlist for vice president, but, even after that position went to Sen. J. D. Vance (R-OH), he campaigned heavily for the president-elect through Election Day.
And Trump’s team’s senior leaders claimed to have quickly forged a friendship after their shared love of sports on the field.
” I think President Trump and Sen. Rubio realized they’re much more alike than they thought”, one Trump insider explained. They were able to get to know each other on a personal level while they were together on the campaign trail, and they managed to “take the politics out of it.” President Trump realized that]Rubio] is the exact type of leader we need to take on China”.
A second Trump insider described Rubio as “practicing what he preaches,” noting that the Communist Party of China has twice personally sanctioned the senator. ” President Trump’s attitude toward Beijing and his work with Democrats helped to reset the U.S.-China relationship.
” Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom”, Trump wrote in his Rubio announcement. ” 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. I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again”!
Rubio is currently the only Cabinet nominee to have received support from both sides of the aisle.
Before Trump even made the nomination official, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA ) made it known that he would vote for Rubio’s confirmation.
” Our politics are different, but he’s a serious guy, and he’s a really great pick”, Fetterman told the Washington Examiner. ” They would n’t be my picks, but I want to embrace and vote for the people like Rubio, Stefanik, and then there’s others that I probably would n’t agree with it, but I’m not going to be in the business now to just start dumping on everybody”.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA ), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told the Washington Examiner , that Rubio is a “very strong choice” before offering him a full endorsement in a statement.
” I have worked with Marco Rubio for more than a decade on the Intelligence Committee, particularly closely in the last couple of years in his role as Vice Chairman, and while we do n’t always agree, he is smart, talented, and will be a strong voice for American interests around the globe”, he wrote.
Though most Republicans are getting in line behind Rubio’s nomination, some have reportedly expressed concerns about his hawkish past, including Trump’s nominee , to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Rubio’s nomination sets off a chain of political dominoes. If confirmed, Gov. Prior to the 2026 election cycle, Ron DeSantis (R-FL ) will be required to choose a temporary replacement.
A number of Trump allies, like Elon Musk, have suggested that Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law and a co-chair of the Republican National Committee, be selected to fill Rubio’s seat.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL ) said earlier this week that Lara Trump would be the “perfect fit” to replace Rubio.
In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, she said,” I believe Lara Trump would avoid a really nasty primary in two years when that seat becomes open.” ” And I think that she has the qualification. She proved herself, not just as a national leader, but also as a stateswoman”.
Additionally, Vance would anticipate running for president in 2028, with the possibility that Rubio will launch a second presidential campaign in the upcoming four years.
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Rubio is regarded as a serious threat to Vice President Vance, according to a senior Trump official who spoke to the Washington Examiner. He “has a chance to win over MAGA.” It’s really up to him how that goes” . ,  ,
