President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as his secretary of state.
Three people familiar with the matter told the New York Times of the looming decision. It would mark a victory for the defense hawks of the Republican Party after Trump picked Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) as his national security adviser and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as his ambassador to the United Nations.
The outlet reported that Trump could “still change his mind at the last minute.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Trump’s team for comment.
Rubio had been floated for some time, usually alongside former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell. The Florida senator has been known as a hawk for some time but has moderated his views in recent months to be more in step with Trump.
Though moderating his views on the war in Ukraine, saying it “needs to be brought to a conclusion,”
Rubio has remained a hawk on Iran and China in particular.
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Trump and Rubio’s relationship began with animus in 2015 when they ran against each other in the Republican presidential primary. Rubio was seen as a top rival, leading to a lengthy exchange of insults that saw Trump get the better of him. After dropping out of the race in 2016, the two became allies, a bond that has remained ever since.
Rubio was a leading contender to be Trump’s running mate, a position that ultimately went to Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.
