White House Intends for Rubio to Serve in Influential Dual Position Indefinitely
It’s an impressive ascent for a former primary opponent from 2016 who engaged in personal disputes with Trump while competing over the future direction of the Republican Party.
TroibNews 
Marco Rubio is anticipated to take on the roles of both secretary of State and national security adviser for at least six months, with several high-ranking advisers to President Donald Trump expressing interest in making this arrangement permanent, as reported by three senior White House officials.
This dual position is perceived as more than just a temporary measure. “It was not set up to be a stop-gap measure,” one official noted.
Rubio was not actively seeking this role; instead, he was asked by Trump and chief of staff Susie Wiles to assume “more fulsome control” of the administration’s overall foreign policy framework, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share insights about the personnel dynamics.
This marks a significant advancement for a former challenger in the 2016 primary, who engaged in personal disputes with Trump while vying for the direction of the Republican Party, and who has been viewed with skepticism by some within the MAGA base.
“He’s just a quintessential team player that is willing to accept whatever task is necessary to deliver for the president – including the hard or risky ones,” said one of the officials.
His role includes establishing stability and “reorienting” the National Security Council to ensure that its output “fully reflects the president's vision,” another official explained. The source elaborated that Rubio is “the perfect person” for this position, as he “understands process and foreign policy, and works well with the team – which is a big deal.”
According to the officials, Rubio’s loyalty stands out as one of his key strengths. He has put aside many of his previous positions, such as his earlier hawkish support for Ukraine, since becoming Trump’s leading diplomat. He has also emerged as a strong proponent of Trump’s contentious deportation policies, even though he was born to Cuban immigrant parents. These changes have sparked criticism from some traditional Republicans and foreign policy experts who once viewed him as an ally.
“You need a team player who is very honest with the president and the senior team – not someone trying to build an empire or wield a knife or drive their own agenda. He is singularly focused on delivering the president’s agenda,” remarked the first official.
There was some initial apprehension about the breadth and nature of serving as both secretary of State and national security adviser. Henry Kissinger was the only other individual to hold both positions during the Nixon and Ford administrations, and he was known for leveraging this dual authority to bolster his influence and become one of the most powerful aides in presidential history.
As Trump’s senior staff deliberated the idea in recent days, they began to recognize the synergy between the two positions as a benefit: “One is the convener, gatherer of facts, and articulator of policy. And the other is the diplomatic lead. I realized they may be more complementary than I thought,” shared the second official.
Regarding other candidates for the position, one official emphatically stated, “Everyone should stop. We have a sensational person willing to do it.”
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
This dual position is perceived as more than just a temporary measure. “It was not set up to be a stop-gap measure,” one official noted.
Rubio was not actively seeking this role; instead, he was asked by Trump and chief of staff Susie Wiles to assume “more fulsome control” of the administration’s overall foreign policy framework, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share insights about the personnel dynamics.
This marks a significant advancement for a former challenger in the 2016 primary, who engaged in personal disputes with Trump while vying for the direction of the Republican Party, and who has been viewed with skepticism by some within the MAGA base.
“He’s just a quintessential team player that is willing to accept whatever task is necessary to deliver for the president – including the hard or risky ones,” said one of the officials.
His role includes establishing stability and “reorienting” the National Security Council to ensure that its output “fully reflects the president's vision,” another official explained. The source elaborated that Rubio is “the perfect person” for this position, as he “understands process and foreign policy, and works well with the team – which is a big deal.”
According to the officials, Rubio’s loyalty stands out as one of his key strengths. He has put aside many of his previous positions, such as his earlier hawkish support for Ukraine, since becoming Trump’s leading diplomat. He has also emerged as a strong proponent of Trump’s contentious deportation policies, even though he was born to Cuban immigrant parents. These changes have sparked criticism from some traditional Republicans and foreign policy experts who once viewed him as an ally.
“You need a team player who is very honest with the president and the senior team – not someone trying to build an empire or wield a knife or drive their own agenda. He is singularly focused on delivering the president’s agenda,” remarked the first official.
There was some initial apprehension about the breadth and nature of serving as both secretary of State and national security adviser. Henry Kissinger was the only other individual to hold both positions during the Nixon and Ford administrations, and he was known for leveraging this dual authority to bolster his influence and become one of the most powerful aides in presidential history.
As Trump’s senior staff deliberated the idea in recent days, they began to recognize the synergy between the two positions as a benefit: “One is the convener, gatherer of facts, and articulator of policy. And the other is the diplomatic lead. I realized they may be more complementary than I thought,” shared the second official.
Regarding other candidates for the position, one official emphatically stated, “Everyone should stop. We have a sensational person willing to do it.”
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
