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In a astonishing twist of fate, Marco Rubio has gone from bitter statesmanlike rival to President Donald Trump’s go-to guy.
At the commencement of the caller administration, existent and erstwhile officials speculated Rubio would beryllium 1 of the archetypal Cabinet officials shown the door, arsenic his America First credentials were called into question fixed his antecedently hawkish overseas argumentation views.
Instead, Rubio has lone continued to find favour with the president – truthful overmuch truthful that helium present holds an unprecedented 4 antithetic roles wrong the administration.
"When I person a problem, I telephone up Marco. He gets it solved," Trump quipped earlier this month.
TRUMP TO TAP NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN 6 MONTHS; CALLS WALTZ MOVE ‘UPGRADE’
In a crook of events that has shocked many, Marco Rubio has progressively go President Donald Trump’s go-to guy. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
First, Rubio glided into the caput of authorities relation with a 99-0 Senate confirmation. Then, Trump and his squad dismantled USAID and merged it nether Rubio's State Department leadership, naming him acting director. The caput was subsequently tapped to pb the National Archives successful an acting capacity, and arsenic of past week, he’s besides replaced Mike Waltz arsenic acting nationalist information advisor.
"This is an look of trust," said Andrew Tabler, a erstwhile elder authoritative astatine State and the National Security Council (NSC). "It's a motion that the president likes Secretary Rubio, contempt the odds."
Trump has suggested the interim statement could past up to six months, and portion that whitethorn beryllium an look of the president's assurance successful Rubio, immoderate are questioning whether 1 idiosyncratic tin efficaciously juggle 4 high-profile roles.
"Marco Rubio is precise talented but nary 1 tin bash that," said Joel Rubin, erstwhile elder State Department official.
Henry Kissinger was the past idiosyncratic to service arsenic some caput of authorities and nationalist information advisor, holding some roles for implicit 2 years from 1975 to 1977. But that was fractional a period ago, and threats facing the federation person lone multiplied.
Rubio has continued to find favour with the president – truthful overmuch truthful that helium present holds an unprecedented 4 antithetic roles wrong the administration. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)
Rubin, who served nether some Democratic and Republican administrations, called the workload "not just to the individual, not just to the taxpayer, and not just to President Trump, who needs strong, autarkic proposal from a nationalist information advisor."
"The president has assembled an incredibly talented squad that is afloat committed to putting America and Americans first," a elder State Department authoritative said successful effect to an enquiry connected Rubio's galore duties. "Secretary Rubio looks guardant to serving arsenic his interim nationalist information advisor portion ensuring the mission-critical enactment astatine the State Department continues uninterrupted."
The nationalist information advisor is traditionally the president’s closest adjutant connected matters of war, bid and planetary situation – physically located adjacent the Oval Office and acceptable to little the president astatine immoderate moment. That proximity is hard to support erstwhile the aforesaid idiosyncratic is flying overseas for diplomatic missions.
"If helium has to fly disconnected to Pakistan to halt a atomic war, past the president's nationalist information advisor, who usually is sitting close adjacent to him, is not there."
The reshuffling follows a broader shake-up wrong the National Security Council, which mislaid Waltz, lawman advisor Alex Wong, and a fig of staffers successful aboriginal April. That thinning of personnel, respective sources said, has lone compounded the stakes.
"There are large nationalist information issues successful 3 antithetic theaters. Europe, Middle East and Asia. One's a blistery war, 1 is simply a half-hot war, and it's truly getting tense successful Asia," said 1 erstwhile NSC official. "The president's nationalist information squad needs to beryllium filled out, and galore radical astatine State and DOD inactive request to beryllium confirmed."
TRUMP TO TAP NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN 6 MONTHS; CALLS WALTZ MOVE ‘UPGRADE’
National information advisor "is 1 of the president’s closest relationships," said Michael Allen, erstwhile peculiar adjunct to the president and elder manager astatine NSC. "The nationalist information advisor needs to beryllium adjacent the president each the time. Or astatine slightest capable to little the president each the time. So this is much duties for Rubio and they’re already short-handed."
Still, Allen said the president’s idiosyncratic comfortableness with his apical nationalist information adjutant whitethorn outweigh structural concerns – for now.
"If the president feels similar helium needs Rubio there, past this is simply a bully solution," Allen said. "At slightest for the abbreviated to mean term."
Yet others accidental Rubio’s promotion mightiness beryllium much symbolic than operational, peculiarly successful a White House wherever power doesn’t ever lucifer occupation titles.
Michael Waltz was replaced arsenic nationalist information advisor by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
"I deliberation it's not, ‘Can Marco Rubio bash 4 jobs?’ It’s, ‘Is helium allowed to bash his 1 occupation – which is Secretary of State?’" said Mark Feierstein, a erstwhile elder authoritative astatine USAID. "Foreign counterparts whitethorn spot him arsenic pleasant successful meetings, but they don't needfully judge helium tin deliver."
Feierstein pointed to the dismantling of USAID, the emergence of informal advisors similar Stephen Miller, and the proliferation of peculiar envoys similar Steve Witkoff who bypass Rubio entirely. "You've got loads of radical who study straight to Trump oregon others. So present it's conscionable chaos," helium said.
Even Rubio’s ideological positioning raises questions. A staunch overseas argumentation hawk during his clip successful the Senate, Rubio has successful caller months presided implicit a overseas argumentation apparatus that includes outreach to Russia and melodramatic State Department fund cuts – moves helium whitethorn erstwhile person opposed.
"He’s decided to accommodate," Feierstein said.
But Rubio's quality to conscionable voters wherever they are – and service arsenic the president's blessed warrior – whitethorn beryllium the cardinal to his longevity. Sparring with voices similar Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance connected overseas argumentation would lone origin further headaches for the president.
Tabler, for his part, remained optimistic. "Rubio is energetic, helium knows the issues. He's been moving connected overseas argumentation for years," helium said. "It’s a affirmative sign. But however agelong 1 idiosyncratic tin bash that occupation – and nether what circumstances – is up to him."
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