Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to tap Florida Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, news agency Reuters reported, citing sources. If picked Rubio would be the first Latino to serve as America's top diplomat once the Republican president-elect takes office in January.
The Florida-born politician was arguably the most hawkish option on Trump's shortlist for secretary of state. Over the years, he has advocated for a muscular foreign policy with respect to America's geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba.
Rubio, 53, is considered to be a friend of India and has been an advocate of the India-US relationship.
Who is Marco Rubio?
- Born in Miami, Rubio is the son of two hardworking immigrants from Cuba. He earned a political science degree from the University of Florida in 1993.
- Before being elected to the US Senate, Rubio served as a city commissioner in West Miami and as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.
- In 2000, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 111th district.
- He was a contender to be Trump's 2024 running mate.
- Rubio has long been involved in foreign affairs in the Senate, particularly as it relates to Latin America, and he has solid relationships throughout the party.
Trump nominates Lee Zeldin to head US' Environment Body
Earlier in the day, Trump announced the nomination of former Congressman from New York, Lee Zeldin, as The Administrator of The United States Environmental Protective Agency (EPA).
“Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies. He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet. He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way,” Trump said.
He earlier nominated Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to serve in his Cabinet as United States Ambassador to the United Nations. “Elise is a strong and very smart America First fighter. She graduated from Harvard University, with honours, was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and is the highest ranking woman in Congress, as the House Republican Conference Chair,” Trump said.
“She was the first Member of Congress to endorse me and has always been a staunch advocate. Elise is a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Intelligence Committee, and led the charge against antisemitism on college campuses. She will be an incredible Ambassador to the United Nations, delivering Peace through Strength and America First National Security policies!” said the president-elect.
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