Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to give his first major speech outside his diplomatic role on Friday, after Republicans suffered heavy losses in the midterm elections. Some people attending the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention are watching for clues about his political plans as the 2028 presidential race approaches.
Attendee Isaiah McKinney said he hopes Rubio will reflect on the administration’s successes and setbacks, and explain what comes next. He also wants to hear Rubio’s assessment of how foreign policy may have influenced the election results.
Rubio is scheduled to speak for about 45 minutes at the Barbara Olson Memorial Lecture. Past speakers have included former Attorney General Bill Barr and Free Press founder Bari Weiss.
For some attendees, though, the bigger question is whether Rubio still intends to run for president. Rachel Paulose, a former U.S. attorney and general counsel at the Upper Midwest Law Center, said many people at the conference will be listening for an answer.
Republicans lost 41 seats in the House and eight in the Senate, with Alaska’s Senate race still undecided. It was the party’s largest combined loss in both chambers during a midterm election since 1958. President Donald Trump has partly blamed the results on opposition to the Iran war, and Vice President JD Vance has also pointed to the war’s impact. Rubio has not publicly weighed in.
Legal commentator John Shu, who served in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, said Rubio might discuss the budget process and how a Democratic-controlled Congress could approach funding for the State Department.
Shu also noted that Rubio could address U.S. strikes on suspected drug cartel targets off Venezuela in fall 2025. The strikes drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers, including six with military or intelligence experience who released a video urging service members not to follow unlawful orders. Shu said he was unsure Rubio would get into domestic policy, given his role as secretary of state.
Trump has previously raised the possibility of a 2028 ticket featuring Vance and Rubio, and has joked about who might lead it. Rubio once held four senior administration positions at the same time, a combination that became a running internet joke.
Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan said he does not know who will run in 2028. He praised Rubio for traveling around the country and abroad to speak about American values, national unity and the Constitution.
Rubio’s speech at the Mayflower Hotel comes after a trip to Paris for G-7 meetings on Iran, Ukraine and other international issues. Paulose said Rubio already has considerable standing among people at the gathering, and could use the address to offer an upbeat message and a direction for the conservative movement.
Rubio, whose parents emigrated from Cuba, was elected to the U.S. Senate for Florida in 2010 and served until 2025, when Trump nominated him as secretary of state. He ran for president in 2016 but ended his campaign after losing Florida’s Republican primary.
