As President-elect Donald Trump fills in a new administration, some of his closest allies are skeptical about his potential choice for secretary of state.
Reports began floating earlier this week that US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is expected to be named Trump’s top diplomat in the coming days. Rubio, 53, will be the first Latino to serve as secretary of state, and was also a contender for Trump’s vice presidential nomination earlier this year.
But some Trump supporters have cast doubt on the report. Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna late Monday night posted to her account on X, formerly Twitter: “(a) apparently there is no SOS option yet.” A source familiar with the matter told Hill in an article published there that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., expected to serve in the second administration of Trump, has “expressed opposition” to the appointment of Rubio, adding, “He will support for people who are less neocon.”
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk also cautioned against jumping to “conclusions” because the president-elect announced Cabinet appointments. Trump has confirmed several key administration roles, including picks for White House chief of staff and Department of Homeland Security.
“Folks, words of wisdom,” Kirk wrote to X on Monday night. “If Trump hasn’t confirmed the Truth, don’t jump to conclusions and don’t believe everything you see.”
Some of Trump’s most outspoken critics have welcomed news of Rubio’s potential appointment. Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Monday that he thinks Rubio would make a “pretty good” secretary of state.
“You know, Marco Rubio has clearly changed,” Kinzinger said, noting that Rubio voted against a $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine in April.
“But he’s not, you know, not like a neocon, so that’s obviously important to Donald Trump, but he’s someone who understands foreign policy,” Kinzinger added. “And that’s going to be important … So when it comes to voting, I think compared to some of the other names that have been floating around, people who really don’t have experience in foreign policy, I think that’s pretty good. That’s a good thing.”
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, also expressed his support for Rubio’s potential appointment, writing in a post to X on Tuesday morning, “Not surprisingly, the other team’s choice will have different political views than mine.”
“That said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting to confirm him,” Fetterman added.
NBC News reported that sources in the Biden administration saw Rubio as a “relief,” as several other names were reported to be Trump’s secretary of state, including Ric Grenell, Trump’s ambassador to Germany during his first term.
One current senior administration official, who remains anonymous, told NBC News that Rubio would be a “serious” and “qualified” choice to be America’s top diplomat. NBC also reported that “several career diplomats have said they are concerned about the State Department becoming politicized if Grenell is nominated” as secretary of state.
Several outlets have reported that Trump could still change his mind about nominating Rubio. If the senator is elected, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be tasked with filling the seat until a special election in 2026.
Newsweek Emailed the Trump transition team on Monday for further comment.
