WASHINGTON (The Thursday Times) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is weighing whether to leave the Trump administration after the Republicans’ heavy losses in this week’s midterm elections, according to people familiar with the matter, though the State Department has dismissed the report as “fake news”.
Rubio, who is also President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, is going over options for his future with his advisers, the people said. He has not decided whether to quit either post, and there is no timetable for any departure. According to some of the people, he has spoken to White House officials about stepping down and has been asked to stay.
The State Department rejected the account in strong terms. “This is complete and total fake news based on the word of anonymous sources, befitting a tabloid,” said Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for global public affairs. “The Secretary has not discussed leaving his role and he will continue to proudly serve in President Trump’s administration long after this fake news is revealed as yet another baseless hoax.”
Edgar Vasquez, a deputy assistant secretary for press, said Rubio “is focused on advancing President Trump’s agenda and delivering for the American people”.
The reports have fuelled speculation that Rubio, a former Florida senator who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, is preparing for a run in 2028. Rubio himself has not commented.
