According to Washington insiders, there is a go-to formula for those wanting to win President Trump’s patronage:
1. Get on the right side of Trump personally.
2. Get on the right side of the Make America Great Again (Maga) movement.
3. When you are given power, use it well.
There is one member of the Trump administration who appears to be ticking all three boxes: Marco Rubio.
The secretary of state has had his portfolio boosted, at least temporarily, by Trump naming him interim national security adviser to replace Mike Waltz, making Rubio the first figure since Henry Kissinger to hold both roles at once.
Meanwhile, he is playing a key role in Trump’s plans for the Middle East, including a scheme to “Make Gaza Beautiful Again”. White House officials see Rubio as a safe pair of hands with the media — and he has embraced the administration’s free speech agenda with gusto, accusing Germany’s foreign office at the start of May of “tyranny in disguise” for classifying the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as right-wing extremist.
It follows that some ask if Rubio might be a successor to Trump — not least as the suggestion has come from the president himself. In an interview with NBC’s Meet The Press on May 4, Trump appeared to rule out pursuing an unconstitutional third term and said: “There are many people selling the 2028 hat, but this is not something I’m looking to do. I’m looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican.”
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So, would his deputy — JD Vance, the vice-president — not be the natural choice? “I think he is a fantastic, brilliant guy,” Trump said, before proposing an alternative. “Marco is great. There’s a lot of them that are great. I also see tremendous unity. But certainly you would say that somebody’s the VP, if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage.
Rubio and Vance are both Catholics in a party that has increasingly been embracing the religion
KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS
“But I think the other people would all stay in unbelievably high positions. You know, it could be that he’d be challenged by somebody. We have a lot of good people in this party.”
As one old acquaintance of Trump puts it: “He always likes to keep people guessing and be the master.” That’s nothing new. But in Trumpworld, his specific mention of Rubio’s name is seen as telling.
It wasn’t that long ago, after all, that Trump and Rubio were trading barbs. Like Vance, Rubio was once a fierce Trump critic. In 2016 they were adversaries competing for the Republican presidential nomination: Rubio had the backing of establishment donors, but it was not enough against Trump’s shock and awe tactics.
A fiery encounter in a 2016 TV debate
MIKE STONE/REUTERS
Before pulling out of the race after losing his home primary to Trump, the Florida senator described his rival as a con artist who had hijacked the conservative movement. The insults grew pettier still as Trump labelled him “little Marco” and Rubio made fun of Trump’s “small hands”. When Rubio dropped out of the race, he warned about the politics of division.
Since then, Rubio has been on a journey. He has endorsed Trump in subsequent elections, including at a key moment in 2024 as Trump battled their fellow Floridian Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination (even if Trump thought Rubio could have been a bit quicker in coming out for him). When it came to key positions for Trump’s return to office, Rubio was considered as a potential running-mate.
Yet in a hint of long-held suspicion of the Florida politician held by some Trump allies, Vance got the gig. For parts of Maga world, Rubio is a neoconservative who has never quite been one of the gang — and old-school Republican, not true Maga.
Trump’s son Donald Jr was among those who pushed for Vance, identifying him as the man to keep Trumpism in power even after the leader himself has left the stage. Instead, Rubio was given the job of secretary of state over Trump loyalists such as Richard Grenell.
Compared to others around the cabinet table, Rubio comes from a more traditional school of conservative thought. Though his hawkishness on China is seen as an asset, he has been seen as being at odds with Maga by having taken an interventionist approach to foreign affairs, initially voicing strong support for Ukraine when Putin invaded. For this, internet memes portray Rubio as an unwilling member of the cabinet, held against his will: blink twice if you need help.
Rubio was described as looking distinctly uncomfortable during the tense Oval Office meeting with President Zelensky of Ukraine
ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY IMAGES
But jokes aside, since his unanimous confirmation in January Rubio has seemed a willing participant in the Trump project. He is the neocon who accommodates Trump.
He also brings some in-demand qualities to the table. Rubio gets on well with Susie Wiles, Trump’s Floridian chief of staff. The child of Cuban immigrants is seen as being able to bring in Latino voters, a group of increasing importance to the Republican party after Trump won 43 per cent of them in last year’s election. Rubio is also, like Vance, a devout Catholic — having had a spell as a Mormon — at a time when Catholicism is enjoying a resurgence in the party.
Rubio is not afraid to display his faith, speaking to the press with a cross on his forehead for Ash Wednesday
As for the base, he has been making overtures to the Maga crowd, including by appearing on Donald Jr’s own podcast. He has also built ties with Steve Bannon, the influential right-winger who was a White House adviser in Trump’s first term, attending Bannon’s rival party on the night of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at Butterworth’s restaurant. The next day, he was back at the Maga hotspot, dining with his family.
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Observers wonder whether Rubio might be tempted to step down as secretary of state after the midterms to focus on a tilt at the presidency, given the difficulties of campaigning while holding a job involving so many foreign trips.
Rubio at the “Uninvited” party at Butterworth’s on the night of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
GETTY IMAGES
While there is little indication of this yet, the talk suggests a two-horse race for the Republican nomination between Vance and Rubio. In 2016, Rubio ran on youth — but now 53 and with Vance only 40, he’d need a different message next time. But all the signs are there that Rubio has learnt the lessons of that failed campaign.
“In the golden age, you need a Midas touch,” an insider said. For now at least, Rubio seems to have it.