Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, is preparing to be the center of attention when he faces the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. The meeting is part of the confirmation process for Rubio to head the State Department under the incoming Trump administration.
Expectations are high that Rubio will have an easier time navigating the scrutiny of his colleagues who will be questioning him on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, and the prospect of a trade war with China—a trade war that Trump has threatened to escalate dramatically.
Ahead of his address to the Senate body, Rubio discusses the new security threats that have arisen since the Cold War ended and the widespread belief that democracy could triumph and international free trade was the future in an excerpt of his remarks obtained by HeadlinesForever Digital.
“While America far too often continued to prioritize the ‘global order’ above our core national interests, other nations continued to act the way countries always have and always will, in what they perceive to be in their best interest,” according to the statement. “And instead of folding into the post-Cold War global order, they have manipulated it to serve their interest at the expense of ours.”
“The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us,” said he.
Democratic Senate Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois has already stated his support for his Republican colleague, Senator Marco Rubio, saying, “Sen. Rubio and I share many similar views on foreign policy and, as a result, have worked closely together in the Senate to move forward with legislation regarding human rights around the world.” This was done on Monday.
Senator Rubio has an excellent grasp of America’s place in the world, has done his time on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with distinction, and would be an excellent head of state. Following a discussion when they deliberated over NATO and the Russian threat in the Baltic Sea, Durbin announced his intention to vote in favor of his nomination when it reaches the Senate.
As a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio characterized the nomination of Trump for the top diplomatic position as a “tremendous honor” and a “tremendous responsibility.” Trump made the announcement in November.
Carrying out the foreign policy directives given by the duly elected president is the responsibility of the secretary of state. Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, he expressed his expectation of being given the opportunity to do so, provided that his present colleagues in the U.S. Senate affirm his candidacy.
Nevertheless, Rubio’s dedication to carrying out the directives of the executive branch may end up being his greatest challenge, both in the Senate and upon assuming office after his approval.
Associated Press reports that the incoming Trump administration is reportedly considering a shakeup in the National Security Council in order to surround the president with only loyalists, echoing Trump’s repeated demands for unfaltering loyalty from White House advisors, Cabinet members, and even military brass.
The three-term senator may face challenges in navigating certain issues, although he and Trump are in agreement on topics such as U.S. support for Israel, maintaining a hard line against China, and opposing dictatorial powers in Latin America. These positions are unlikely to face much opposition from Senate Democrats.
In the past, and especially during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, Rubio and Trump have traded insults.
Their animosity has long since subsided, and that’s in no little part due to Rubio’s decision to connect himself more closely with Trump. This has made him an expert at treading the political tightrope that lies between pleasing Trump and pursuing causes that are important to him.
When challenged about the Trump camp’s contentious remarks regarding U.S. assistance for Ukraine and ways to end the already three-year war, Rubio’s balancing act became apparent on the campaign road.
Rubio stated in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” in September that he is not siding with Russia, but believes a negotiated settlement is the only way for the war in Ukraine to conclude.
When asked if he agreed with Vice President-elect JD Vance’s proposal that Ukraine give up territory to Russia and establish a demilitarized zone along the present battle lines, Rubio sidestepped the issue.
As an alternative, “I would be comfortable with a deal 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.”
After worries about the now-president-elect’s stance on NATO arose in response to his statement that he would urge any nation, including Russia, to “do whatever the hell they want” to any NATO nation that failed to meet its defense budget obligations, Rubio defended Trump.
After all, “Donald Trump is not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations,” Rubio said CNN’s Jake Tapper in February. He doesn’t use the language of a conventional politician, and we’ve been here before. I would have thought by now everyone would have understood.
Trump threatened to unilaterally withdraw the United States from NATO without Senate approval during his first term, and this issue was a major worry for both Rubio and Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, who ran against Trump for president in the most recent election.
The questioning of Rubio on the president-elect’s expansionist statements, such as the acquisition of Greenland and the Panama Canal by the United States military, might put the next president’s unfaltering public allegiance to the test.
News headlinesForever Digital was unable to contact Rubio’s office to inquire about his stance on U.S. involvement in Greenland—a Danish territory that is technically protected by NATO—and the Panama Canal—a resource that the United States returned to Panama in 1999 but which Trump has accused China of appropriating.