Marco Rubio spent years trying to get into the White House, only to end up working for the man who defeated him in the 2016 Republican primary. Now, with another presidential election approaching, reports suggest the secretary of state may be preparing to leave Donald Trump’s administration and pursue the job he once failed to secure.
According to an exclusive report by The Independent, senior Republican figures and UK government officials expect Rubio to step down following the Republicans’ losses in both chambers of Congress. The sources believe he could be preparing for a 2028 presidential campaign, with Vice President JD Vance emerging as his main rival for the Republican nomination.
One Republican source told the publication: “Rubio will be gone after the midterms. There will be about four or five of them running for the hills.”
The suggestion is that Rubio may want some distance from the administration’s record before asking Republican voters to make him their next presidential candidate. One Washington insider told The Independent that he needs to “distance himself from the Iran war and pin that one on Trump.”
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A Rubio ally also argued that leaving would make political sense, saying: “It makes complete sense for him to step down and leave the administration.”
The source added: “But he cannot run while he is still secretary of state and being tied to the administration will only harm his prospects anyway.”
The Iran conflict could prove particularly difficult for both Rubio and Vance as they consider their political futures. Vance has already questioned the administration’s handling of the war following the election results, saying: “The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone … The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.”
He added: “Any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”
Rubio, meanwhile, has reportedly taken a quieter role in discussions surrounding Iran, despite serving as America’s top diplomat. The Independent also reports that he has been sidelined on major foreign policy decisions involving the Middle East and Ukraine, with Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner taking prominent roles.
There’s also the question of what Rubio himself actually wants. His public comments about a presidential run have been far more cautious than the predictions coming from political insiders.
In September, he told reporters: “I don’t know what the future holds, but I have no plans at this time. I’m not a candidate for anything right now. And I’m 100% focused on my job, and I have to be because I have two jobs.”
The possibility of a Rubio departure has also attracted attention in Britain. One senior UK government source told The Independent: “We are looking to see what he will do after the midterms. It seems unlikely that he will stick around. He would make a strong presidential candidate and we expect him to run.”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
