Caption: Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa
- Exit Rumours Denied: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rejected media reports claiming he is weighing a departure from the Trump administration following Republican losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
- Committed to Full Term: Rubio told The New York Times that it has ‘always been my plan’ to serve until the end of President Donald Trump’s term.
- 2028 Speculation: Widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender alongside Vice-President JD Vance, Rubio declined to discuss his future ambitions, while the State Department labelled reports of an impending campaign launch ‘fake news.’
WASHINGTON, DC (AFP) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed reports on Thursday that he is planning to leave the Trump administration as he weighs his next political moves following Republican losses in the midterm elections, according to The New York Times.
It has “always been my plan” to work for President Donald Trump until the end of his term, Rubio told the newspaper in an interview, adding of the exit rumours: “I don’t know where these things come from, to be honest with you.”
Earlier on Thursday, Bloomberg News reported that Rubio was considering whether to leave the administration, claiming he had spoken to White House officials about stepping down and was asked to stay.
The State Department hit back sharply against the claims. Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, called the Bloomberg article “totally made up.”
He also dismissed a report by The Independent, which claimed Rubio was planning to launch a bid for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, calling it “completely baseless fake news.”
Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser, is widely considered a potential successor to the president in the 2028 race. Just days before Tuesday’s midterm elections, he made an unusual appearance alongside the US leader on the campaign trail, briefly taking to the podium to address a cheering rally crowd.
However, Rubio declined to answer questions about his political future on Thursday, saying: “I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore.”
He has previously stated that he would support Vice-President JD Vance—who is also widely viewed as a leading 2028 contender—if Vance were to run for president.
