As President-elect Donald Trump fills out his new administration, some of his closest allies are skeptical about his potential choice for secretary of state.
Reports began floating earlier this week that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is expected to be appointed as Trump’s top diplomat in the coming days. Rubio, 53, would be the first Latino to serve as secretary of state, and was also a contender for Trump’s vice presidential nominee earlier this year.
But several Trump supporters have raised doubts regarding the reports. Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna late Monday night posted to her account on X, formerly Twitter: “[a]pparently there hasn’t been a SOS pick yet.” A source familiar with the matter told The Hill in an article published Monday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., expected to serve in Trump’s second administration, has “expressed opposition” to Rubio’s appointment, adding, “He will be advocating for someone who is less neocon.”
Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk also urged caution against jumping to “conclusions” as the president-elect announces his Cabinet appointments. Trump has confirmed several key administrative roles, including his picks for White House chief of staff and the Department of Homeland Security.
“Folks, word of wisdom,” Kirk wrote to X on Monday night. “If Trump hasn’t confirmed it on Truth, don’t jump to conclusions and don’t believe everything you see.”
Some of Trump’s most outspoken critics have welcomed the news of Rubio’s potential appointment. Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Monday that he thought Rubio would make a “pretty good” secretary of state.
“You know, Marco Rubio has been obviously kind of changing,” Kinzinger said, noting that Rubio voted against a $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine in April.
“But he’s not a, you know, by no means is he like a neocon, so obviously that was important for Donald Trump, but he’s somebody that understands foreign policy,” Kinzinger added. “And that’s going to be important … So as far as picks go, I think compared to some of the other names that were floating around, people who really don’t have any experience in foreign policy, I think this is a pretty good one.”
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, has also expressed support for Rubio’s potential appointment, writing in a post to X on Tuesday morning, “Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own.”
“That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation,” Fetterman added.
NBC News reported that sources within the Biden administration see Rubio as a “relief,” given some of the other names reportedly in the running for Trump’s secretary of state pick, including Ric Grenell, Trump’s ambassador to Germany during his first term.
One current senior administration official, who remained anonymous, told NBC News that Rubio would be a “serious” and “qualified” choice to serve as America’s top diplomat. NBC also reported that “multiple career diplomats said they were concerned about the State Department becoming politicized if Grenell were nominated” as secretary of state.
Several outlets have reported that Trump may still change his mind about choosing Rubio. If the senator is selected, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be tasked with filling his seat until a special election in 2026.
Newsweek sent an email to Trump’s transition team on Tuesday for further comment.