Marco Rubio to be Secretary of State in Trump's Next Term

November 14, 2024

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump officially named Senator Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State.

The formal announcement comes after CNN reported Monday night that Rubio would be Trump's choice.

Rubio is currently a senator from Florida. Eight years ago he was Trump's rival in Republican presidential primaries and had clashes with him. Although they were opponents in 2016, the path has since cleared and the relationship between them has now flourished.

In 2024 he ran for U.S. Vice President. Additionally, he previously made clear that he was interested in joining Trump's cabinet if it was for the right position, several sources familiar with the process told CNN.

"Marco is a highly respected leader and a very powerful voice for freedom. He will be a strong defender of our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a brave warrior who will never back down to our adversaries," Trump said in a statement.

For his part, in a post on his X account, Rubio stated: "Leading the U.S. State Department is a tremendous responsibility, and I am honored by the confidence President Trump has placed in me. As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda."

"Under President Trump's leadership, we will offer peace through strength and always prioritize the interests of Americans and the United States. I look forward to gaining the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate so that the President has his national security and foreign policy team ready when he takes office on January 20," he added.

Rubio was born on May 28, 1971 in Miami, Florida, and is the son of Mario Rubio, a waiter, and Oriales García Rubio, both Cuban. He married Jeanette Dousdebes in 1998 and they have four children, Amanda Loren, Daniella, Anthony, and Dominick. He attended Tarkio College in Missouri between 1989 and 1990; studied at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida, from 1990 to 1991; graduated with a degree in Political Science in 1993 from the University of Florida. In 1996 he obtained his law degree with distinction, a law postgraduate degree, from the University of Miami. He is Catholic.

Rubio is currently vice chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence and senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.