President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday formally announced his nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to be Secretary of State.
President Trump issued a press release acknowledging numerous media reports suggesting Rubio would be selected for the key role.
“Marco is a highly respected leader and a very strong advocate for freedom,” President Trump said in a statement. “He will be a strong advocate for our country, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never bow down to our enemies.”
“I look forward to working with Marco to make America and the world safe and great again,” he added.
Rubio, the first Latino secretary of state, said he was “honored by the confidence” President Trump has in him and vowed to carry out the president-elect's foreign policy agenda.
“Leading the U.S. State Department is a tremendous responsibility and I am honored by the confidence President Trump has placed in me,” he wrote in a post to X. “As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy” policy agenda. ”
He continued:
Under President Trump's leadership, we will achieve peace through strength, always putting the American people and America's interests above all else. I look forward to gaining the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to help the President establish a national security and foreign policy team when he takes office on January 20th.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2011 and is currently in his third term. He is the vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and previously served as interim chairman of that committee. He is an Iran and China hawk and a defender of Israel.
Rubio and Trump clashed during the 2016 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, but their relationship has evolved significantly. Rubio supported Trump was serving as president before this term's Iowa caucuses and was reportedly being considered as his running mate. Trump ultimately selected J.D. Vance as his next vice president.
