After President Trump has ousted Mike Waltz, his director for national security, Thursday evening, established someone less a hawk for Russia and willing to remain seriously with his foreign policy approach in Iran, Gaza and China.
He didn't have to look far.
Making Marco Rubio the best councilor of foreign policy in the west wing, in addition to his main work as secretary of state, Trump turned to a one -off political rival who spent the first three months of the administration as a faithful soldier on foot and a reliable echo of the president's agenda.
Now Mr. Rubio will help to manage that agenda inside the White House and the headquarters of the State Department – even if the longtime friend of the president, Steve Witkoff, remains the main negotiator, in charge of finding the end of the wars in Ukrainian and Gaza and reaching an agreement with Iran on his program of nuclear weapons.
Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the United States and the program of the Americas at the Chatham House, a research institute based in London, said that Rubio is “willing to align and follow where Trump is located. What we are getting, in this administration, is: loyalty comes first, loyalty to man, loyalty to the mission”.
But consolidating so much power of foreign policy in a person, he added, Trump risks losing someone who could provide him different political perspectives or competing advice.
“Reduce only the number of potential points for someone who says:” In reality, Whoa. See what has just happened, “he said.” 'Look at this information that flies in front of what we suspected.' “
Rubio's new assignment, who often requires the national security councilor to stay in the White House and close to the president, will probably further hinder his ability to travel the world as the highest diplomat in America. This will leave even more room for Mr. Witkoff, who has little foreign policy experience, to continue his negotiations all over the world. But Mr. Rubio will probably have the ear of Mr. Trump more often if he spends time in his new office on the first floor of the West wing, a few steps from the oval office.
On Russia, Mr. Rubio is less likely to challenge Mr. Trump of Mr. Waltz, who is a more traditional republican hawk. Waltz had discussed internally for the strong penalties to Russia if he cannot make an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, making that case recently, according to a person with knowledge of what has happened. Trump has given few public indications that is interested in that option.
Waltz's failed ideology, the criticisms of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and his previous support for the president Volodymyr Zelensky's president of Ukraine have made him a topic of profound suspicion in the administration, according to three people closely allied with the president.
Without Mr. Waltz in the White House, there will be a higher official who will act as an informal conduit for Mr. Trump for foreign leaders. But for Ukraine, the Middle East, Russia and China, Rubio's ascension underlines the determination of the president to speak with a unified voice.
As Senator of Florida, Rubio had been a vocal critic of Russia and an enthusiastic Zelensky champion after Russia had invaded Ukraine in 2022. But as secretary of state, Rubio was among the choir of administrative officials who publicly warned that Mr. Trump could simply move away from the country of the Beleagues.
“We have to understand here now, within a few days, if this is short -term feasible,” Rubio told journalists in mid -April while meeting European leaders to discuss a fire in Ukraine. “Because if it is not, then I think we will go on.”
Mr. Rubio also echoed the president of the president on the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, affirming on numerous occasions that “Hamas must be uprooted”. After Mr. Trump suggested that the Palestinians were removed from the territory to make room for a “Gazent Riviera”, Mr. Rubio published on X that “the United States are ready to lead and make Gaza again”.
Like his boss, Rubio said that China is the “biggest threat” of America, and it was a ferocious supporter on behalf of Mr. Trump's desire to acquire Greenland and the Panama channel. In the observations to journalists last month, Rubio refused to say that the president would exclude using the strength to conquer Greenland.
“What we will not do is let China enter now and say, offer them a lot of money and become dependent on China,” said Rubio, and continued to mention President Trump: “He said:” I have not intended to exclude anything if Greenland is invaded by a foreign power like a China or a Russia or no one else. “
And while Mr. Rubio repeated the warning of the president who will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, he also followed the directive of Mr. Trump to seek a diplomatic agreement that would eliminate the need for military action.
“This is the best opportunity they will have,” said Rubio Dell'Iran in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News Thursday evening. “President Trump is president of peace. He doesn't want a war.”
Mr. Witkoff has guided the talks with Iran in recent weeks. But Rubio was also vocal, insisting on the fact that any agreement must request Iran to renounce the ability to enrich the uranium, also for nuclear energy reactors. Iranian leaders publicly rejected this question, saying that they should have the right to produce uranium.
“Maybe you can read it as an indication that Waltz was out of step with Trump- too falco- on issues such as Ukraine and Iran,” said Hal Brands, the distinct professor of Henry A. Kissinger at Johns Hopkins University.