Rubio will hold two positions simultaneously for at least 6 months - Politico
The US expects Marco Rubio to serve as both Secretary of State and National Security Advisor for at least six months. However, Trump is interested in having him work this way permanently.
This was reported to Politico by anonymous senior White House officials, Censor.NET reports citing the League.
Rubio's dual position is seen as "much more" than a short-term solution. One official said: "This was not created as a temporary measure."
The officials noted that the secretary of state did not apply for the position of national security adviser, but Trump and his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, asked Rubio to step in and take "more control" of the administration's entire foreign policy bloc.
This is a significant promotion for Rubio, who was Trump's rival in the 2016 primaries and traded personal attacks with him as they fought for the future of the Republican Party, and who is viewed with suspicion by some members of Trump's MAGA movement.
"He [Rubio] is just the quintessential team player who is willing to take on any task that needs to be done for the president, including the difficult or risky ones," the unnamed official told Politico.
Another official said that Rubio's task would be to ensure stability and "reorient" the National Security Council so that its decisions "fully align with the president's vision." The source added that the secretary of state is "the perfect person" for the role because "he understands the process and foreign policy and works well with the team, which is very important."
According to the officials, Rubio's loyalty is one of his main assets. Since becoming secretary of state, the politician has backed away from many of his previous positions, including his former hawkish (tough on Russia) support for Ukraine. In addition, the official has become an active defender of Trump's controversial deportation policy, despite the fact that he was born to Cuban immigrants. This shift in views has drawn criticism from some traditional Republicans and other foreign policy experts who considered Rubio an ally.
"You need a team player who is very honest with the president and the senior leadership [...]. He is focused exclusively on the implementation of the president's program," said the first official.
Initially, there was some concern about the scope and amount of work involved in combining the positions of secretary of state and national security adviser. The only person to hold both positions before was Henry Kissinger in the 1970s. The official used this to exert his own influence on the processes and became one of the most important aides to the US president in history.
As Trump's senior staff has mulled over this idea in recent days, they have come to the conclusion that there is an advantage to the interaction between these two positions.
The national security adviser's job is to be an organizer, fact-finder, and policy maker, while the secretary of state's job is to be a diplomatic leader, another official said. The interviewee concluded that the two roles "may be more complementary" than he had thought.
The official also spoke about those who apply for the position of national security adviser: "Everyone should stop. We have a sensational man [Rubio] who is ready to do it."
