Marco Rubio: Foreign Policy Kingmaker

President Trump may have elevated Rubio out of trust — or desperation.

Author

Brandon Goldman
May 09, 2025

_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

Marco Rubio, as Secretary of State, has amassed an extraordinary set of responsibilities in the Trump administration.

President Trump recently named Rubio interim National Security Adviser (NSA) after removing Mike Waltz from the post, meaning he now holds four major federal roles: secretary of state, national security adviser, acting administrator of USAID, and acting archivist of the United States.

This consolidation of power around a former rival signals Trump’s willingness to entrust Rubio with the most sensitive levers of American foreign policy and national security — potentially revealing the president’s skepticism of others in his circle.

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