American Senator Marco Rubio Tipped as New Secretary of State

washington - American senator Marco Rubio is being tipped as the new Secretary of State by President-elect Donald Trump, with strong views on China, Iran, and NATO.

American senator Marco Rubio is being tipped as the new Secretary of State by President-elect Donald Trump. Several media outlets report that the politician from Florida is likely to be nominated for his cabinet.

The 53-year-old Rubio is known as a hardliner towards China and Iran. He was also one of the drivers of a law that makes it impossible for a president to withdraw the US from NATO without Congress' approval. "We must ensure that we protect our national interests as well as the security of our democratic allies," said the Republican senator in 2023.

Trump has openly expressed his skepticism about NATO, especially regarding the heavy reliance of the Alliance on the US, partly due to several other member states not meeting their financial obligations. During his campaign, Trump indicated his willingness to fundamentally reassess the usefulness and direction of NATO. Although the President-elect cannot easily decide to leave the Atlantic alliance, European allies fear that he may want to withdraw American troops from Europe.

Rubio has been in the Senate since 2011 and made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential elections. He lost to Trump at that time. If appointed, he will be the first Secretary of State with Cuban roots.

In addition to Rubio, it has been announced that Trump will appoint Congressman Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor. The 50-year-old Waltz, also from Florida, is a former colonel in the special forces. As a Green Beret, he served in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa.

Waltz previously worked at the Pentagon under Defense Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. As a top advisor to the incoming president, Waltz enjoys Trump's ear on security matters. He is skeptical about American military support to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and is also hawkish towards China.