Trump picks Marco Rubio as secretary of state, according to The New York Times

Donald Trump will choose Hispanic senator Marco Rubio for the post of Secretary of State of his new government, Reuters reports. He new York Times He passed along the information, citing sources familiar with the process, though he also cautioned that Trump could change his mind at the last minute. Neither party has yet confirmed the information. If so, Rubio, 53, would be the first Latino to lead US diplomacy.

The decision to place a Latino at the head of US foreign policy also holds symbolic value for the Hispanic community. The Latino vote, especially the men’s vote, has played a decisive role in these elections in returning veterans to the White House. Despite his racist rhetoric, Rubio’s selection for such an important position in his administration is also a way to endear himself to one of the country’s largest demographic groups. In these elections, Latin Americans represented 15% of the total electorate nationally.

Rubio, who has been a senator from Florida since 2010, has stood out for his tough stances on China and Iran. He has also supported sanctions against Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. Rubio’s approach to Beijing and Tehran matches promises made by Trump during his presidency, which would scare away major international rivals. The new incoming administration will have to face an international scenario such as the war in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East and the hegemonic aspirations of Asian giants in the South China Sea. A context where Russia, Iran and China are cooperating in pursuit of common interests.

The incoming secretary of state was one of the Republican senators who followed Trump’s lead and voted against a $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine that was stalled last April. In recent interviews, Rubio has stressed that Ukraine needs to reach a negotiated settlement with Russia to end the conflict and abandon its efforts to reclaim occupied territories. “I’m not in favor of Russia, but unfortunately, the reality is that the war in Ukraine is going to end through negotiations,” Rubio told NBC in September.

With regard to the Gaza War, the Florida senator has shown a marked pro-Israel profile. Last November, shortly after the conflict began, Rubio assured a group of pro-Palestinian activists that he would not call for a ceasefire, but “quite the opposite.” “I want you to understand this: I want you to destroy every element of Hamas. These people are brutal animals who have committed terrible crimes, and I hope they publish it,” Rubio said in that video. Said in which was posted by an activist on the X platform.

Rubio’s selection, along with that of pro-Israel Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, confirms Trump’s desire to strengthen ties with Israel amid growing criticism of Tel-Aviv’s actions among the international community. Republicans appear to be pointing to ways to rein in the administration of current President Joe Biden, who has led one of the most pro-Israel presidencies in U.S. history.

Despite sharing many of Trump’s positions on foreign policy, Rubio was one of the promoters of legislation in 2023 that would make it more difficult for any president to order the United States to leave NATO. The rule, which Biden signed into law in 2024, establishes that withdrawing from the coalition requires the support of two-thirds of the Senate or for Congress to authorize it through a law. Trump has always lamented that the United States contributes more money to the alliance than its European allies and at the beginning of the year he assured that he would “encourage” Russia to attack those allies. Will do that do not contribute adequately to the defense.

Throughout the campaign, Trump has assured that China, Russia, and Iran are becoming stronger within the international system because they do not fear current President Joe Biden. So now the President-elect promised to make the United States a power “to be feared” by its rivals. However, rather than instilling fear, Trump aroused the sympathy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he maintained contact even after leaving the White House.

Over the summer, his name was among those being considered as a potential Trump vice presidential pick. Although they competed in the 2016 primaries and their relationship didn’t get off to the best start, Rubio has been able to climb the ranks and become one of the hottest figures revolving around the now-president-elect.