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republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is preparing for the hot seat as he prepares to go through the often arduous confirmation hearing process Wednesday with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as he competes to lead the State Department under the next Trump administration.
While Rubio is not expected to go easy on the panel of colleagues set to press him on everything from the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and a trade war with China, which Trump has threatened to dramatically increase, is expected to pass more easily than other nominees Trump has slated for his cabinet.
In an excerpt of Rubio’s remarks obtained by Fox News Digital before his address to the Senate body, he highlights the security threats that have emerged since the end of the Cold War and the belief that democracy could succeed worldwide and free international trade was the way of the future.
“While America too often continued to prioritize the ‘global order’ over our core national interests, other nations continued to act as countries always have and always will, in what they perceive to be their best interests interest,” the comments read. “And instead of bending to the post-Cold War global order, they have manipulated it to serve their interests at the expense of ours.”
“The post-war global order is not only outdated, it is now a weapon being used against us,” he added.
Senate Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois has already thrown his support behind his fellow Republican, saying on Monday: “Senator Rubio and I share many similar views on foreign policy and as a result have worked closely together in the Senate to advance human rights legislation around the world.”
Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill. (Durbin.senate.gov)
“I believe Senator Rubio has a thorough understanding of America’s role internationally, has served honorably on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is a good choice to lead the State Department. I plan to vote for his nomination . when it comes before the Senate,” Durbin said in a statement after a meeting in which they discussed security issues related to The threat of Russia in the Baltic Sea and the NATO alliance.
Trump announced his nomination Rubio for the top diplomatic job in November, which the senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said was not only a “tremendous honor” but a “tremendous responsibility.”
“The secretary of state’s job is to execute the foreign policy established by the president-elect of the United States. And I look forward to the opportunity to do that, if my current colleagues here in the US Senate confirm it.” he told reporters on the Hill.
But Rubio’s commitment to carrying out the wishes of the executive office could also prove to be his most difficult obstacle, not only during Senate questioning, but also in taking office if approved by the House high
Trump has made it clear repeatedly that he expects unwavering loyalty from cabinet members, White House advisers and even military leaders, and reports this week suggest the incoming administration may be clearinghouse planning to the National Security Council to ensure the president is surrounded only by those who support his agenda, according to an Associated Press report.
Former President Trump listens as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, speaks during a rally in Miami on Nov. 6, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
While Rubio and Trump are seen at loggerheads over issues such as US support for Israel, getting tough on China and opposing dictatorial powers in Latin America — all of which are unlikely to garner much opposition from Democrats in the Senate – there are issues that could prove complicated for the three-term senator to navigate.
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Rubio and Trump have a history of exchanging barbs, especially during the 2016 presidential race.
The duo have long patched up their hostilities in large part because Rubio has aligned himself more closely behind Trump, a move that has made him no novice at walking the political tightrope between appeasing Trump and deal with issues important to him.
That balancing act was evident on the campaign trail when Rubio was asked about controversial comments from the Trump camp when he arrived. to US support for Ukraine and how to end the war that has been going on for three years now.
“I’m not on the side of Russia, but unfortunately the reality is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is with a negotiated settlement,” Rubio said in a September interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Rubio sidestepped questions about whether he supported comments made by Vice President-elect JD Vance when he suggested Ukraine cede land to Russia and agree to a demilitarized zone along the current front lines.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, and Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, are pictured on Capitol Hill on Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Instead, he said: “I would be comfortable with an agreement that ends these hostilities and that, I think, is favorable to Ukraine, meaning that they have their own sovereignty, that they don’t become a satellite state or a puppet state “
Rubio also backed Trump after concern grew the now president-elect’s position on NATO when he said he would encourage any nation, including Russia, to “do whatever they want” to any NATO nation that fails to meet its defense spending commitments.
“Donald Trump is not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations,” Rubio told CNN’s Jake Tapper in February. “He doesn’t talk like a traditional politician, and we’ve been through that before. You’d think people would have picked up on that by now.”
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That said, Rubio in 2019 also helped reintroduce bipartisan legislation that would have barred any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval, a move Trump threatened during his first term and has remained a primary concern that was made by Trump’s former NSC adviser, John. Bolton, during the last presidential race.
Rubio’s unwavering foreign allegiance to the incoming president could be tested if he is questioned about the president-elect’s expansionist rhetoric, such as Acquisition of Greenland and the Panama Canal through the use of the US military.
Fox News Digital was unable to reach Rubio’s office for comment on his position on US intervention in Greenland, which is technically under NATO protection while remaining a territory of Denmark, as well as the Panama Canal , which the US returned. in Panama in 1999 but that Trump has accused China of taking over.
