Washington:
According to a report by The New York Times on Monday evening, US President-elect Donald Trump is anticipated to appoint Florida Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state. The report cites three sources indicating that while the decision is not yet finalized, Trump seems to have chosen Rubio, a loyal supporter whom he previously overlooked for the vice presidential position.
Rubio has emerged as a leading candidate for the role of head of US diplomacy over the past week, alongside the outspoken former ambassador to Germany, Ric Grenell. When questioned about the possibility of a senior cabinet position, Rubio expressed to CNN last week, “I always am interested in serving this country.”
The potential nomination of the assertive congressman, who has Cuban ancestry, would signify a significant shift in his relationship with Trump.
In 2016, during their rivalry for the Republican presidential nomination, Rubio referred to Trump as a “con artist” and labeled him the “most vulgar person to ever aspire to the presidency.”
Born to Cuban immigrants in Miami, Rubio earned a political science degree from the University of Florida in 1993. He was elected to the US Senate in 2010, with his campaign gaining momentum from the Tea Party, a far-right faction of Republicans that emerged following Barack Obama’s election as president.
