Florida Senator Marco Rubio was passed on as Donald Trump's vice presidential candidate, but he is reportedly still vying for a top post in his administration should he win the presidential elections in November: secretary of state.
Rubio is in the shortlist to obtain the post, competing against two other top Republicans: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who also sought to become Trump's VP, and Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, former ambassador to Japan. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton was also considered for the post, but he would rather be secretary of defense.
Florida Republicans have already floated Rubio as a top contender for the post, with many top officials telling the Miami Herald that he has both the experience and foreign policy chops to lead the U.S. State Department. They argue that his deep foreign policy experience and his amicable relationship with Trump make him a prime contender to serve as a diplomat for one of the country's most important job.
Palm Beach County commissioner Michael Barnett told POLITICO that the prospect of Rubio serving as Secretary of State could be positive, saying that he could lead on issues from the border to Cuba policy. "My understanding is he's always been supportive of President Trump, especially during his four years, on matters involving South America, Central America," Barnett said.
Rubio has been active in several regional foreign policy issues dominating the U.S. agenda, most notably Venezuela. He quickly rejected the government's declaration of victory, saying the "Maduro regime in Venezuela has just carried the most predictable and ridiculous sham election in modern history."
Venezuela's government-friendly electoral council announced early on Monday that Nicolás Maduro was the winner of the presidential elections. Speaking in Caracas, Elvis Amoroso said that, with 80% of the votes tallied, Maduro got 51.2% of the vote, beating the opposition's Edmundo González Urrutia, who got 44.2%.
The results have not been recognized by the vast majority of the international community, the U.S. government included. Rubio has been active on social media, posting critical messages and drawing attention to repression of protests.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/a4EpLscldE
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 30, 2024
He also changed his profile picture to one posted by Trump's Department of Justice, which in 2020 issued broad sanctions on Venezuelan officials. Concretely, they were accused of leading a drug-trafficking ring using the state power to their benefit. The office offered $15 million for information leading to the capture or arrest of Maduro, the fourth largest amount in the country's history.
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