WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio promised a robust foreign policy focused on American interests at his nomination hearing on Wednesday for secretary of state under President-elect Donald Trump who takes office on Jan. 20.
A China hawk and staunch backer of Israel, the 53-year-old Rubio is expected to comfortably win confirmation by the full Senate. Democrats backed him as soon as Trump announced his nomination to become the top U.S. diplomat, a sharp contrast with some more controversial nominees who drew skepticism even from Trump’s own party.
In his opening statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he has served for 14 years, Rubio said he sees a world in chaos where it will not be easy to restore order. “But it can and will only happen if it is built on a simple foundational element – a strong and confident America engaged in the world based on our national interest before all else,” he said in prepared remarks.
The son of immigrants from Cuba, Rubio would be the first person of Hispanic origin serving as the top U.S. diplomat.
“You’ve earned yourself one of the hardest jobs in America. But after serving with you for so many years. I’m confident you are the right person. We need to take on these threats,”
said Senator Jim Risch, the committee’s Republican chairman.
“I believe you have the skills and are well qualified to serve as Secretary of State,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top foreign relations Democrat, said.
Rubio is known as one of Congress’ leading advocates for strong policies to compete with China. His support for Hong Kong democracy protesters earned him Chinese sanctions in 2020, meaning he could be the first secretary of state under active Chinese travel restrictions.
“The communist party of China has taken advantage of all the benefits of the post-Cold War international system, but they have ignored all the responsibilities that come with it,” Rubio said. “Instead, they have lied, cheated, hacked and stolen their way to global superpower status at our expense.”
Some other Trump nominees have faced strong criticism, with even some Republicans saying they wanted more information about former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, tapped for secretary of defense, and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence.
VOTED AGAINST UKRAINE AID
Rubio has faced some criticism himself. Some of Trump’s core supporters had seen him as out of step with Trump’s “America First” approach to government. Rubio was a Trump rival in the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
But his views recently have aligned more closely with the party leader’s.
In April 2024, Rubio was one of 15 Republican senators to vote against a big military aid package to help Ukraine resist Russia, after voting in favor of aid in 2022. Trump has been critical of Democratic President Joe Biden’s continuing military assistance for Ukraine as it fights Russian invaders.
Rubio has said Kyiv needs to seek a negotiated settlement with Russia rather than focus on regaining all territory Moscow has taken in the last decade.
Trump’s choice of a vehement critic of Cuba’s Communist government to be top diplomat also signaled that he will continue his first-term policies of rolling back former Democratic President Barack Obama’s efforts to ease relations with the island.
Rubio has strongly backed Israel. Last year, he said he would not call for a ceasefire in Gaza and believed Israel should destroy “every element” of Palestinian militant group Hamas. “These people are vicious animals,” he added.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Don Durfee, Deepa Babington and Alistair Bell)
Comments