logo
The remaking of Marco Rubio

The remaking of Marco Rubio

Vox10-05-2025

Perhaps you've heard about wearing multiple hats at work, but four? It might be too many for most people, but not Marco Rubio. As the New York Times put it this month, he's become the 'secretary of everything' for the Trump administration: secretary of state, interim national security adviser, acting USAID administrator (albeit for a gutted agency), and acting archivist of the United States at the National Archives and Records Administration.
Put another way, if the Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency asked Rubio what he accomplished this week, it would be a long email. And the former Republican senator from Florida is proving to have better survival instincts in Trump world than some observers expected.
Nahal Toosi, a columnist and senior foreign affairs correspondent at Politico, is one of those Rubio skeptics. She predicted in January that Rubio wouldn't last long in the second Trump administration, perhaps less than a year. But she's less sure now, as Rubio emerges from the administration's first 100 days with a longer list of titles than he began with.
Toosi spoke with Today, Explained co-host Sean Rameswaram about Rubio's growing portfolio, how he's juggling it all, and how he's accommodated himself to a second Trump administration, including on big issues like immigration and foreign aid. Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. There's much more in the full episode, so listen to Today, Explained wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify.
How did Marco Rubio become so important at work?
He abandoned everything, or much of, what he has stood for in the past, endeared himself to Trump, supported the president vocally and through policy changes, and earned the president's trust.
I will also say it's hard to get into the Trump circle. There's not a lot of people who meet the loyalty tests. Rubio has proven that he can do that. The reason that it's important to point this out is because when he took the initial position of secretary of state, many people viewed him as one of the weakest in Trump's orbit. I wrote an entire column about how all these people in town were saying, He is not going to last very long. He won't last even six months as scretary of state.
The fact that he has climbed the ranks and taken all these positions and earned the president's trust in such a way — that is really remarkable, but it goes to show how unrecognizable he is compared to what Marco Rubio was five, 10 years ago.
Today, Explained
Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. Email (required)
Sign Up
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Marco Rubio's been around a long time. When you hear candidate Donald Trump talking about draining the Washington swamp, it's people like Marco Rubio. There were reports that he was asking President Biden for more funding for USAID before he became one of the faces of the elimination of USAID. He's not exactly MAGA. Are you saying that there hasn't been much tension between Rubio and Trump?
I wouldn't say [Rubio is] a traditional Republican. He came in on a wave of reactionary [sentiment against] the establishment. But he over time established his bona fides in the Senate as a hawkish Republican: pro-human rights, pro-democracy promotion, definitely pro-humanitarian assistance, the type of guy who supported Ukraine, wants to be tough on dictatorships around the world, including Iran.
But I would say he also has proven to be a very flexible type of politician over the last several years. He has moderated his positions. My understanding is he's gone out and learned a lot about the American heartland. But now that he has joined the Trump team, he has really gone to the MAGA world, to the point where even far-right influencers like Laura Loomer are now praising Marco Rubio.
And I imagine much of that acceleration has happened via his initial job, secretary of state?
Yes. And part of the reason that that has happened is because he's used that perch to agree very vocally with a lot of Trump policies, right? In defending, for instance, President Trump's takedown of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy in that famous Oval Office meeting.
But wasn't Rubio one of the only Cabinet members in that meeting who looked uncomfortable?
He looked like he was sinking into the couch. But afterward he got on TV, he went public, he defended the president. He realized immediately, Okay, I have to speak out, or it's gonna look like I'm not supportive of President Trump, right? And I have to be subordinate to him. Look, another area where he's been astonishingly pro-Trump is the anti-immigration stuff.
'He's going to be responsible for any major crisis that happens.'
This is really remarkable for Rubio because he has often touted his own family's immigrant story. They're from Cuba. And now he is seemingly gleefully stripping students of their visas and negotiating deals that are sending people to a prison in El Salvador without them getting proper hearings in court. And he's even suggesting he'll defy the judges if they request information in support of Trump.
Some of these things you think, Wow, does he have to go this far? Obviously it's working for him in terms of surviving under Trump. But who knows, in a month from now Marco Rubio may be out of favor. A lot of people thought that Mike Waltz, the national security adviser who was pushed out, would last longer than he did. Now that Rubio is actually in charge of these key portfolios — national security adviser and the State Department — in a way he has a bigger target on his back too. Because he's going to be responsible for any major crisis that happens.
This is the job he most recently acquired, Donald Trump's national security adviser. What exactly does that entail?
The national security adviser is based at the White House, and they are like a point guard. They keep an eye on what all the agencies are thinking. They coordinate and they bring together options for the president when it comes to foreign policy and national security issues. Now, that's if they do it in the way that's considered proper, which is to be an honest broker, to be the guy that says, here's what State is thinking. Here's what DOD is thinking, here's what the CIA wants.
A lot of national security advisers acquire more power than that. They very much have their own points of view. They do their own negotiations. They rival other people in the administration for power. That's always caused a bit of tension in past administrations. So we definitely could have seen Rubio at odds with a national security adviser in the future, but now it would be like being at odds with himself.
Is there any conflict there? Does being Trump's national security adviser come at the expense of his other roles, especially secretary of state?
One of the key mysteries right now is how is he going to do both jobs at the same time. And remember, he has two other jobs, but let's put those aside.
How he splits his time is something that's going to be very important to watch. The only person who's done this in the past is Henry Kissinger. And that was in the '70s. And back then, the world was, to be honest, not as complicated. Not that it was great, but it was not what we have now.
What do you think he's excited about accomplishing as our secretary of state, if not our national security adviser, our chief archivist, and the head of USAID?
If he survives in the roles for several months or over a year, that is an accomplishment. Under President Trump, survival is difficult. He has had a constant turnover in the past. In terms of other accomplishments, if this administration were to strike important deals with Iran, say over its nuclear program, or bring about a peace between Russia and Ukraine, these are things that they can point to as accomplishments.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys National Guard troops
Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys National Guard troops

Yahoo

time29 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys National Guard troops

Tensions in Los Angeles escalated on Sunday as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to US President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard. They blocked off a major road and set self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd. Many protesters dispersed as evening fell and police declared an unlawful assembly, a precursor to officers moving in and making arrests of people who do not leave. Some of those remaining threw objects at police from behind a makeshift barrier that spanned the width of a street and others hurled chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the closed southbound 101 freeway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover. Sunday's protests in Los Angeles, a sprawling city of four million people, were centred in downtown several blocks. It was the third and most intense day of demonstrations against Mr Trump's immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 Guard troops spurred anger and fear among many residents. The Guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the detention centre where protesters concentrated. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were 'overwhelmed' by the remaining protesters. He said they included regular agitators who appear at demonstrations to cause trouble. Several dozen people were arrested throughout the weekend of protest. One was detained on Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police, and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. Let's get this straight: 1) Local law enforcement didn't need help. 2) Trump sent troops anyway — to manufacture chaos and violence. 3) Trump succeeded. 4) Now things are destabilized and we need to send in more law enforcement just to clean up Trump's mess. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 9, 2025 Mr Trump responded to Mr McDonnell on Truth Social, telling him to arrest protesters in face masks. 'Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!' he wrote. Starting in the morning, the troops stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields as protesters shouted 'shame' and 'go home'. After some closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until state patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon. Nearby, at least four self-driving Waymo cars were set on fire, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky and exploding intermittently as the electric vehicles burned. By evening, police had issued an unlawful assembly order shutting down several blocks of downtown Los Angeles. Flash bangs echoed out every few seconds into the evening. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom requested that Mr Trump remove the guard members in a letter on Sunday afternoon, calling their deployment a 'serious breach of state sovereignty'. He was in Los Angeles meeting local law enforcement and officials. The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's national guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts. Mr Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed the increasingly aggressive protests on Mr Trump's decision to deploy the Guard, calling it a move designed to inflame tensions. They have both urged protesters to remain peaceful. 'What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration,' she said in an afternoon press conference. 'This is about another agenda, this isn't about public safety.' But Mr McDonnell, the LAPD chief, said the protests were following a similar pattern for episodes of civil unrest, with things ramping up in the second and third days. He pushed back against claims by the Trump administration that the LAPD had failed to help federal authorities when protests broke out on Friday after a series of immigration raids. His department responded as quickly as it could, and had not been notified in advance of the raids and therefore was not pre-positioned for protests, he said. Mr Newsom, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that California authorities had the situation under control. He mocked Mr Trump for posting a congratulatory message to the Guard on social media before troops had even arrived in Los Angeles, and said on MSNBC that Mr Trump never floated deploying the Guard during a Friday phone call. He called Mr Trump a 'stone cold liar'. The admonishments did not deter the administration. 'It's a bald-faced lie for Newsom to claim there was no problem in Los Angeles before President Trump got involved,' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. The arrival of the National Guard followed two days of protests that began Friday in Los Angeles before spreading on Saturday to Paramount, a heavily Latino city south of the city, and neighbouring Compton. Federal agents arrested immigrants in LA's fashion district, in a Home Depot parking lot and at several other locations on Friday. The next day, they were staging at a Department of Homeland Security office near another Home Depot in Paramount, which drew out protesters who suspected another raid. Federal authorities later said there was no enforcement activity at that Home Depot. The weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the LA area climbed above 100, federal authorities said. Many more were arrested while protesting, including a prominent union leader who was accused of impeding law enforcement. The protests did not reach the size of past demonstrations that brought the National Guard to Los Angeles, including the Watts and Rodney King riots, and the 2020 protests against police violence, in which Mr Newsom requested the assistance of federal troops. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Centre for Justice. In a directive on Saturday, Mr Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States'. He said he had authorised the deployment of 2,000 members of the National Guard. Mr Trump told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Sunday that there were 'violent people' in Los Angeles 'and they're not going to get away with it'. Asked if he planned to send US troops to Los Angeles, Mr Trump replied: 'We're going to have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country.' He did not elaborate. About 500 marines stationed at Twentynine Palms, about 125 miles (200 kilometres) east of Los Angeles were in a 'prepared to deploy status' on Sunday afternoon, according to the US Northern Command.

Newsom says California will sue Trump over National Guard, dares Homan to arrest him
Newsom says California will sue Trump over National Guard, dares Homan to arrest him

Yahoo

time30 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Newsom says California will sue Trump over National Guard, dares Homan to arrest him

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said California will sue the Trump administration on Monday over its deployment of the National Guard to quell Los Angeles protests against federal immigration raids. In an interview Sunday evening on MSNBC, Newsom said the lawsuit would challenge Trump's federalizing of the California National Guard without the state's consent, a move with little precedent in U.S. history. 'Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions. He's, you know, lit the proverbial match. He's putting fuel on this fire, ever since he announced he was taking over the National Guard — an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,' Newsom said on MSNBC. 'And we're going to test that theory with a lawsuit tomorrow,' he added.. Asked to elaborate on the lawsuit, Newsom said that under Trump's executive order, 'it specifically notes — and under what the [Department of Defense] did — is they had to coordinate with the governor of the state. They never coordinated with the governor of the state,' he said. Newsom noted that he has deployed the National Guard before to respond to various emergencies. 'We have no problem, working collaboratively in a mutual aid system with local law enforcement. But there's a protocol, there's a process. He didn't care about that. And the worst part, he completely lied,' he said. The governor pointed to Trump's Truth Social post earlier on Sunday, in which he said the National Guard had done a 'great job.' Newsom said the state forces had not even been deployed at the time. 'It's Orwellian, simply lying to people, unconstitutional, illegal act, his mess. We're trying to clean it up,' he added. Later in the interview, Newsom was asked about border czar Tom Homan's comments indicating he would not rule out arresting Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass if they interfered in his efforts. 'Come after me, arrest me. Let's just get it over with, tough guy, you know? I don't give a damn. But I care about my community. I care about this community,' he continued. 'The hell are they doing? These guys need to grow up. They need to stop and we need to push back. And I'm sorry to be so clear, but that kind of bloviating is exhausting.' Newsom added. 'So, Tom, arrest me. Let's go.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Newsom plans to sue Trump admin over National Guard deployment to LA even as LAPD chief admits cops are ‘overwhelmed' by violent anti-ICE riots
Newsom plans to sue Trump admin over National Guard deployment to LA even as LAPD chief admits cops are ‘overwhelmed' by violent anti-ICE riots

New York Post

time36 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Newsom plans to sue Trump admin over National Guard deployment to LA even as LAPD chief admits cops are ‘overwhelmed' by violent anti-ICE riots

California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration early Monday morning over the president's deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, even as the LAPD chief admitted Sunday his cops 'are overwhelmed' by the violent anti-ICE riots taking over the city. Newsom announced he'll be suing the admin after he sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Sunday, formally requesting that he rescind the 'unlawful' deployment of troops and return them to state control, as there was 'currently no need' for the Guardsmen. 8 California Gov. Gavin Newsom requested the Trump administration pull back the National Guard from the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. REUTERS 'At present, law enforcement authorities from the City and County of Los Angeles are safeguarding public safety, and, as demonstrated by the robust law enforcement response yesterday evening to protect federal facilities, local law enforcement resources are sufficient to maintain order,' Newsom wrote in the letter. He claimed the Trump administration — which said it would deploy 2,000 National Guard troops — did not coordinate its sending in of the troops with his office, as required by the directive. At the same time, the Department of Defense warned it has 500 Marines ready to deploy to the California city 'if violence continues.' Los Angeles delved further into chaos Sunday night, on the third day of protests against ICE officers' raids in the city. At least 2,000 rioters shut down the 101 Freeway, while others hurled fireworks and concrete blocks at officers, two drove motorcycles into the police line, and another group lit several driverless Waymo cars on fire — sending toxic fumes into the air, according to the LAPD. Looters reportedly began ransacking stores later in the night, police said as they declared all of downtown LA an unlawful assembly area. 8 Demonstrators waved flags on top of wrecked cars during Sunday's fiery protest. AFP via Getty Images 8 People took cover as a firework exploded during a protest near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday night. AP Cops have also fired pellets and tear gas at the crowds, striking numerous protesters and media working on site. At least three officers have been injured and at least 27 people have been arrested on Sunday. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell called the barbarity 'disgusting' during a news conference, where he said the protests have gotten 'increasingly worse and more violent.' 'We are overwhelmed,' McDonnell said, according to NBC Los Angeles. 'Tonight, we had individuals out there shooting commercial-grade fireworks at our officers. That can kill you.' 8 Police cleared demonstrators after they blocked a street with a barricade during a protest against federal immigration sweeps. REUTERS Newsom blamed the chaos and violence on Trump's involvement. 'We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed,' Newsom wrote on X. 'Rescind the order. Return control to California.' 8 A demonstrator waved a Mexico flag in front of burning dumpsters in Los Angeles on Sunday night. REUTERS Newsom debuted his soon-to-be-filed lawsuit against the Trump administration later Sunday evening and accused the president of being 'a stone-cold liar.' In his announcement, he claimed that Trump 'never once' mentioned the National Guard when the two talked on Friday. 'It was a very civil conversation. I've always wanted to approach engagement with the President of the United States in a respectful and responsible way. But there's no working with the president, there's only working for him. And I will never work for Donald Trump,' Newsom said. President Trump on Saturday ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to be dispatched to the protests. As of Sunday, roughly 300 had arrived, with 1,700 waiting in the wings. 8 Demonstrators partially shut down the 101 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles. ALLISON DINNER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Still, some Trump officials decided even that wasn't enough to cap the 2,000-man protests. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon has an additional 500 Marines on standby nearby Camp Pendleton in LA. Earlier today, a protest including many veterans gathered outside the camp's grounds in opposition to military use in civil demonstrations, CBS 8 reported. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also offering rewards up to $50,000 for information on protesters who allegedly assaulted a police officer at the protests on Sunday. One of the men was even added to the FBI's 'Most Wanted' list. 8 It is unclear how many people were arrested. Newsom is on the ground in LA meeting with the LA police and sheriffs to figure out next steps for quelling the protests sparked 'by chaos from Washington,' he wrote on X. 'We're here to keep the peace — not play into Trump's political games,' he wrote. LA Mayor Karen Bass echoed Newsom's sentiments, arguing the presence of the National Guard would only make things worse. 8 As of Sunday, roughly 300 members of the National Guard were in Los Angeles. Getty Images 'Deploying federalized troops on the heels of these raids is a chaotic escalation,' she said in a statement. 'If you want there to be chaos, then have troops on the ground when there is absolutely no need for that to happen,' she later added. Trump slammed both Newsom and Bass in a Truth Social post late Sunday night and claimed 'paid insurrectionists' were responsible for the riots. 'Governor Gavin Newscum and 'Mayor' Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots,' he wrote. 'These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists.' 'Looking really bad L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!' Trump later posted.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store