Marco Rubio

As President-elect Donald Trump stands poised return to the presidency, what will his foreign policy entail? Sen. Mitch McConnell says Trump should base his foreign policy on "hard power."

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Mary Ellen McIntire, Daniela Altimari and Niels Lesniewki The 118th Congress has been chaotic in many ways, so perhaps it’s unsurprising that Congress [...]The post Deck the House with boughs of chaos appeared first on Roll Call.

Once again, political leaders want to eliminate twice a year time shifting. Here are the pros and cons.

One of Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio's most challenging tasks won't be abroad but at home: Navigating a network of envoys nominated by President-elect Trump to manage key foreign policy issues directly out of the White House.Why it matters: Rubio has extensive foreign policy and national security experience from his years in the Senate, but he isn't a member of Trump's inner circle. He'll have to fight for influence and for Trump's ear as the U.S. decides how to handle a range of conflicts and alliances around the world.Some key foreign policy issues are run from the White House in most administrations, but Trump has appointed numerous presidential envoys and given them many of the State Department's responsibilities.They've already started meeting with foreign diplomats and traveling to the regions they're assigned to work on.Rubio on the other hand has declined all requests by foreign diplomats and ministers to meet with him, saying he is focused on his confirmation process and staffing the State Department, three sources with direct knowledge told Axios.Where it stands: Trump named his closest friend businessman Steve Witkoff to be the White House envoy for the Middle East. He'll focus on ending the war in Gaza, pushing for a historic U.S.-Israeli-Saudi "mega deal" and making progress on ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The president-elect appointed his in-law businessman Massad Boulus as his Arab world adviser. He is expected to work with Witkoff as the point of contact for the Palestinians and many other Arab countries.Trump's point-person on Russia-Ukraine diplomacy will be retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellog, who worked in the first Trump administration. Adam Boehler was appointed to be the presidential special envoy for hostage affairs. He is also going to work out of the White House and focus initially on Gaza. Previous hostage affairs envoys worked out of the State Department. The intrigue: Trump appointed former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell as his presidential envoy for special missions. The president-elect said Grenell is going to focus on the "hottest spots around the world," including Venezuela and North Korea. Grenell was reportedly a top candidate for secretary of State.His broad job description could allow him to get involved in many other foreign policy files and step on the State Department's turf. A source with knowledge of the situation said Grenell would be best positioned to succeed Rubio if he leaves the administration in a year or two as many Trump administration insiders expect.Behind the scenes: A source who spoke to Rubio recently said the incoming secretary of State isn't concerned about the numerous presidential envoys and thinks he has several advantages.Unlike the White House envoys, he'll have to be confirmed by the Senate, arguably giving him more authority.And, he will be leading a huge department with tens of thousands of people in hundreds of places around the world.Used right, it could give him power and influence.Between the lines: Rubio wants to operate less like Rex Tillerson, Trump's first secretary of State, and more like Mike Pompeo.Tillerson was part of a faction inside the administration that feuded with some of the president's senior advisers. Pompeo, Trump's second secretary of State, successfully navigated Trump world and was seen as more of a team player, the source said.The source said the incoming secretary of State has a good personal relationship with Witkoff, who he has known for several years, and that Rubio wants to have a good relationship with Grenell as well, despite them vying for the same job.What they're saying: "The world is on fire, and it will take a full court press to restore order. President Trump and Senator Rubio are working together to build out an all-star team to deliver on the America First agenda the country demanded in November," a Rubio spokesperson told Axios.The Trump transition team didn't respond to questions about the issue.What to watch: Two sources with knowledge of Rubio's plans said he wants to focus on China and Latin America — two issues he is knowledgeable about and that have huge implications for domestic policies that will shape the economy and immigration.Trump hasn't appointed a presidential envoy for Iran, which is expected to be a key foreign policy issue in the coming year.Rubio is an Iran hawk and would likely want to play a major role.

Speaking to Iowa reporters Wednesday by conference call, Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said he is not telling candidates in advance whether he will support their nominations.

Trump is tapping loyal allies for plum federal government jobs after they lost races to Democrats in recent years partly due to their ties to Trump himself.

President-elect Donald Trump, who has long mocked “haters and losers,” seems to have no issue with filling his incoming administration with them. More than a dozen of his appointees ran for political office at least once and were often soundly rejected by voters. Late Tuesday, Trump announced his nomination of Herschel Walker to be the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, turning to a longtime ally and former National Football League star for the role. Walker first gained national political attention in 2022, when he tried and failed to unseat Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Georgia, in particular, seems to be a ripe hunting ground for finding political losers. In addition to Walker, Trump tapped former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (who was unseated by Warnock in 2021) to run the Small Business Administration. And former Sen. David Purdue (who lost his seat to Sen. Jon Ossoff that same year) was nominated to be ambassador to China under Trump’s incoming administration. In some instances, the president-elect even turned to Georgians who were rejected by their own party’s voters. In November, for instance, he asked former Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, who tried and failed to unseat Loeffler in the crowded 2020 Senate race, to lead the Veterans Affairs Department. (In the 2020 Senate race, Collins came in third. His defeat made it so Loeffler and Warnock ended up going head-to-head in a subsequent runoff.)Many—if not all—of these folks ran for office with Trump’s stamp of approval. Now that they lost, they seem to be receiving the ultimate consolation prize from the president-elect.Beyond those from the Peach State, Trump also selected perennial loser Kari Lake, a former local TV anchor who lost two statewide races in Arizona, to lead Voice of America. It’s unclear whether Lake will have any power here, but the MAGA politician who seemingly has a bone to pick with journalists might now be in charge of the government-funded international broadcaster. Lake is a particularly interesting addition to Trump’s administration since she’s shown her unique brand of fealty to the president-elect. She literally vacuumed the red carpet Trump was about to walk on, and told audiences on the same night that Trump has “BDE.” (Google this acronym if you’re unfamiliar with it, but be warned: This might not be safe to do at work!) Kari Lake, who has twice lost statewide races in ArizonaTrump also picked Mehmet Oz, the former heart surgeon turned TV host commonly known as Dr. Oz, for his second administration. Oz lost a 2022 Senate race in Pennsylvania, in which he had Trump’s backing, to Democrat John Fetterman by 5 percentage points. But come next year, the Republican will likely lead the hugely important agency that oversees health insurance programs for tens of millions of Americans.Other notable losers who might join the federal government next year include some who attempted to challenge Trump for the presidency or Republican nomination.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who was chosen to lead the Department of Health and Human Services) and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (tapped to be the next director of national intelligence) are former U.S. presidential candidates. Gabbard ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020, and Kennedy for the same nomination last year before switching to an independent bid. He later ended that bid as well and endorsed Trump.Then there’s Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a two-time loser by Trump’s standards. Not only did Rubio drop out of the 2016 presidential primary after losing his home state to Trump, but also during the throes of that year’s presidential competition, Trump not-so-affectionally referred to the senator as “Little Marco” and called him a “choker.” Now he’s not only a “Highly Respected Leader,” according to Trump; he’s also the president-elect’s pick to be the next secretary of state.Some lesser-known losers asked to fill Trump’s administration include outgoing Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina, to be deputy budget director; one-term Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, to be secretary of labor; and former Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Canada.This list is not exhaustive, and it may grow from here. In early December, Trump met with Blake Masters about leading the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Masters lost both the 2022 Senate race in Arizona as well as a Republican primary for the state’s 8th District this year.In some respects, it’s not all that unusual for a president to appoint people who haven’t been successful in electoral politics to their administration. After all, former President Barack Obama appointed Hillary Clinton to be his secretary of state after he beat her in the 2008 Democratic primary. President Joe Biden, too, made Pete Buttigieg, whom Biden faced in the 2020 Democratic primary, his secretary of transportation. But the sheer number of incoming Trump appointments who have a history of losing at the ballot box is eye-popping, particularly since they’ll now be working for a guy who claims to love winning. It’s probably not a coincidence that Trump plans to surround himself with a bunch of literal losers, though. No one will be more loyal to the president-elect than those about to fade into obscurity.Campaign Action

During the transition period between President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, there has been at least some coordination on West Wing affairs

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The announcement comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position.

A post shared on social media purports President-elect Donald Trump posted on social media that his wife and son attended a Bruce Springsteen concert. Wow! Did the model conman dad really misspell his son’s name, or am I seeing things? How can you make that mistake? That’s hilarious! Classic...👀 pic.twitter.com/gYKOtDwcsz — Popular Liberal 🇺🇸 (@PopularLiberal) December 9, [...]

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'Speak Their Language': Insiders Explain How Trump Can Use 'NeoCon' Cabinet Picks To Advance MAGA Agenda

Monday's court filing cites longstanding Justice Department policy shielding presidents from prosecution while in office.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor in his second administration, elevating a Republican congresswoman who has strong support from unions in her district but lost reelection in November. Chavez-DeRemer will have to be confirmed by the Senate, which will be under Republican control [...]The post What to Know About the Fresno State Grad Who Is Trump’s Pick for Labor Secretary appeared first on GV Wire.

A former chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence attacked one of Donald Trump's picks for his Cabinet as being the dream candidate for authoritarian leaders. Marc Short told MSNBC that there are several Cabinet appointees that conservatives are excited about, but former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI), who became an independent in 2022, isn't one of them. Trump named Gabbard as his pick for Director of National Intelligence, prompting outrage among national security experts. Also Read: Trump's Cabinet of horrors exposes his totalitarian drift"I think there are several picks that conservatives can celebrate," said Short. "At OMB, Doug Burgum, Chris Wright at Energy, [Sen. Marco] Rubio (R-FL) as secretary of state, those are things conservatives get excited about."Then there are the others."I think that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Syrian President Bashar] al-Assad got their pick at DNI."Gabbard has been accused of parroting Russian propaganda and having troubling connections to the Kremlin. She met with al-Assad, who is backed by Russia, and has expressed skepticism about Russian interference in U.S. elections. See the conversation below or at the link here. - YouTubeyoutu.be

“His future is not as bright as it once was,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida.

After AG nomination, Gaetz resigned from his seat for the remainder of his term and announced his intention not to take the oath of office on Jan. 3, 2025.

Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is no longer a candidate to become attorney general.

A plurality of Democrats—41 percent—say they would vote for Harris in four years if she runs for president again.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) political future is up in the air following his announcement that he is taking his name out of the running to be attorney general in the Trump administration. Gaetz was under intense scrutiny over past investigations by the Justice Department (DOJ) and the House Ethics Committee. The DOJ was investigating [...]

Washington Post national political reporter Marianne LeVine talks with NPR's Scott Detrow about Marco Rubio's changing stances on Donald Trump.

When compared to some of president-elect Trump's other cabinet picks, Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State is a pretty conventional choice.He's a veteran politician who served on the foreign relations and intelligence committees for over a decade, and he's been a loyal Trump backer throughout this year's campaign. But when you look back at Marco Rubio during his 2016 presidential campaign, there's a striking contrast. When he ran against Trump in 2016, Rubio called him a con artist, and described his style of leadership as dangerous. Now, he's going to work for him. Marco Rubio's political evolution is indicative of how the Republican Party has remade itself around Donald Trump, and it gives some clues about how he may operate as the nation's top diplomat.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [email protected].

In a wide-ranging interview, the Senator-elect discusses Trump’s Cabinet picks and Lake’s non-concession.

Sen. John Fetterman says Democrats should not "freak out" every time President-elect Trump sends out a social media post or makes a Cabinet pick.

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Despondency is of no more use in uncertain times than apathy. This election may not have gone the way the vast majority of Boulderites would have hoped, but we as a community are not powerless. We can keep making Boulder a better place for everyone here.

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'Matt Gaetz is dangerously unqualified'

President-elect Trump’s decision to tap Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to become attorney general caught Senate Republicans completely flat-footed, and put the party on the defensive immediately over one of the most prominent — and polarizing — Cabinet selections. Two key centrist members — Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — expressed shock and [...]

Trump also tapped Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for secretary of state.

Trump also tapped Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for secretary of state.

Donald Trump's 13-point victory in Florida was so large it was inconceivable even to his most die-hard supporters four years ago. He won 61 of the state’s 67 counties. "Trump victory shows Florida is so Republican red it's crimson. "The era of Florida being a battleground state is clearly over."

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Susie Wiles is moving from a largely behind-the-scenes role to the high-profile position of the president's closest adviser

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