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Trump Leaning to Marco Rubio as Secretary of State: Report
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Trump Leaning to Marco Rubio as Secretary of State: Report

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to appoint Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, according to a new report.

The New York Times reports that while Trump “could change his mind at the last minute,” he appears to have keyed in on Rubio as he works to fill out his foreign policy and national security team. It is not yet clear whether Trump has officially offered Rubio the role.

Rubio was a name that was mentioned earlier when Trump was hunting for his vice presidential candidate. Despite the decision to go with JD Vance, Rubio campaigned for Trump in his bid for the White House, saying he would be interested in joining Trump’s Cabinet if the role was suitable.

Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010 and is known as a “foreign policy hawk” when it comes to China and Iran, the Times reports.

He previously served as an informal foreign policy adviser to Trump and even helped him prepare for his 2020 debate with President Joe Biden. Trump and Rubio were previously considered rivals during the 2016 Florida primaries. During the campaign, Trump called Rubio “Little Rubio” and Rubio backtracked and commented on Trump’s masculinity during a debate.

In the Senate, Rubio serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee.

The news that Trump is quickly working to complete his Cabinet comes as no surprise, as the newly elected president has many goals for his first days in office.

Trump has tapped Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to act as his national security adviser, a person familiar with the matter said Monday.

He added Tom Homan to his cabinet as border czar on Monday. Homan was Trump’s former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The president-elect tapped Lee Zeldin as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin is a former New York congressman.

He also selected former adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, as deputy policy chief. New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik also accepted Trump’s offer to become the country’s next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump’s first choice was Susie Wiles, his campaign manager. Wiles will serve as White House chief of staff.