We’re following the confirmation hearings for the incoming Trump administration. See our full politics coverage, and follow NPR’s Trump’s Terms podcast or sign up for our Politics newsletter to stay up to date.
Who: Marco Rubio
Nominated for: secretary of state
You might know him from: The Senate and his role as the Intelligence Committee’s top Republican. He was also a candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary race, where Trump dubbed him “Little Marco” and Rubio warned voters not to support Trump, saying “friends do not let friends vote for con artists.”
More about Rubio:
- He would be the first Latino in the post.
- He is known for hawkish stances on China, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.
- His interventionist foreign policy positions put him at odds with Trump, but now says he’ll follow the president’s lead.
What does this role do: The secretary of state is fourth in line of succession to the president and the top Cabinet position. The secretary oversees U.S. foreign policy.
Among President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio may face the easiest confirmation path. A longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he is well-known by lawmakers questioning him today.
If confirmed, the 53-year-old Florida Republican would be the first Latino to serve as America’s top diplomat. Born in Florida, the son of Cuban immigrants was first elected senator in 2010 and gained a reputation as a hawkish voice on China, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.
Rubio and Trump launched a series of vicious attacks against each other in the 2016 presidential election. That year, Rubio told voters they should not back Trump as candidate for president, saying “friends do not let friends vote for con artists.” Trump dismissed him as “Little Marco.” However, behind the scenes during that election, the two were becoming unlikely allies. By 2024, Rubio became a fixture on the campaign trail during Trump’s re-election bid. He was in the running to be his vice president before former Sen. J.D. Vance was picked instead.
Rubio may face tough questions about why he voted against aid to Ukraine last year, despite his previous positions on Russia’s war there. He may also face questions about how his interventionist foreign policy views clash with Trump’s positions.
China has imposed sanctions on Rubio, which could make travel there difficult. Rubio has accused China of a “grotesque campaign of genocide” against Uyghur Muslims and he wrote legislation that banned imports from the Xinjiang region. This human rights advocacy has put him at odds with Trump ally Elon Musk, who opened a Tesla dealership in Xinjiang soon after Rubio’s Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed into law in 2021. Rubio also faced death threats after he spoke out against the Venezuelan regime in 2017.
The outgoing Biden administration has made it a priority to build up alliances in Asia to counter China’s rise. At the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken set up “China House,” an office that draws on experts across the U.S. government to focus on China. That may be one office that Rubio will want to keep.
The secretary of state oversees U.S. foreign policy, but Trump has already chipped away at some of the job of America’s top diplomat, by tapping numerous special envoys for Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon. He has also named a longtime foreign policy adviser, Richard Grenell, who had been in the running for secretary of state, to serve as envoy for “special missions.” “Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea,” Trump said in a posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, announcing the appointment.
