There are expressions of relief among Democrats and Republicans after President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday he intended to nominate an experienced U.S. senator for secretary of state, instead of a more fringe figure.
Trump’s choice, Marco Rubio, is a Florida Republican who has been in the Senate since 2011. In a statement, Trump called him a highly respected leader and a very powerful voice for freedom who “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.”
Rubio, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a senior member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, is regarded as intelligent, ambitious and well-liked by Senate colleagues of both parties.
Some leading Democrats in Congress, who will be the opposition party in January, are making positive comments about the Republican.
“I’ve got a good relationship with Marco, and I think Marco is very capable,” Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who has served on the Intelligence Committee with Rubio, told VOA after Rubio’s name was circulated in media reports.
On social media, Democratic Senator John Fetterman called Rubio “a strong choice,” adding that he looks forward to voting for his confirmation.
“Compared to some of the other names that were floating around, people who really don’t have any experience in foreign policy, I think this is a pretty good one,” former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger said on CNN before Trump’s official announcement.
Among the other names that had been floated was that of Ric Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence and ambassador to Germany in the first Trump administration.
Despite having a close relationship with some Trump family members and being a loyal ally of the president-elect’s agenda, Grenell is regarded as a caustic figure and controversial because of his private dealings with foreign leaders. That would have meant a bumpy road for any appointment requiring Senate confirmation.
In choosing members for his Cabinet and senior White House staff, Trump is generally emphasizing loyalty rather than experience. Rubio campaigned for Trump during this year’s presidential election.
The two had been rivals in the Republican presidential primary eight years ago. Trump had repeatedly belittled the senator, while Rubio questioned the New York real estate investor’s qualification for the presidency, calling Trump “a con man,” deemed him dangerous and someone who could not be trusted with the launch codes for nuclear weapons.
After Trump won the party’s nomination and the presidency, the relationship warmed. But Rubio did not side with Trump when he refused to accept defeat at the hands of Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden four years ago. After Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Rubio condemned the violence, calling the attackers “unpatriotic” and “un-American” lowlifes.
Earlier this year, Trump considered Rubio, a behind-the-scenes campaign foreign policy adviser, as his running mate before selecting Republican Senator JD Vance.
If Rubio, who is 53 and the son of Cuban immigrants, is confirmed by his Senate colleagues, he would become the first Latino secretary of state. In that role, he would be tasked with helping to implement Trump’s “America First” foreign policy.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Rubio was a vocal supporter of Kyiv. More recently, he has called for negotiations to end the conflict and voted in April against a $95 billion military aid package for the Ukrainians.
Rubio is a strong supporter of Israel, in line with Trump’s stance. He has exhibited a tough stance toward authoritarian regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, as well as toward the communist leadership in Beijing.
In response, China has banned the senator from entering the country — something that likely will change if Rubio is confirmed as secretary of state.
Should Rubio take the job, he would have to vacate his Senate seat. A successor would then be selected by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Among the candidates being promoted by influential Republicans for the Senate seat is Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and Trump’s daughter-in-law.
VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb contributed to this report.
