Photo: Christopher Bermudez / U.S. Southern Command (file photo)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected reports Thursday that he plans to leave President Donald Trump’s administration, saying that serving through the end of Trump’s term has “always been my plan.”
Rubio made the comments in a New York Times interview published November 5, responding to speculation about his future after Republicans’ midterm-election losses.
“I don’t know where these things come from, to be honest with you,” Rubio told the Times. “I love the work I’m doing.”
“Which one?”
Rubio, who also serves as White House national security adviser, joked about reports that he would leave his job. “And plus I always laugh when they say he’s going to leave his job. I go, ‘Which one?'” he said.
Asked about a possible presidential run, Rubio declined to discuss the subject: “I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore,” he said. “I just won’t do it.”
Israel National News and Mediaite also reported the denial and the interview.
The report Rubio rejected
The Independent reported earlier Thursday, citing sources in Washington and the British government, that Rubio could leave the administration as he considered a possible bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
The Independent’s own article included conflicting assessments. An administration insider said Rubio had shown no signs of wanting to quit, while another source suggested he could stay to project stability. The White House and State Department disputed the premise of an impending departure; the article quoted Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson calling its reporting “completely baseless fake news.”
JNS also reported the State Department response, identifying Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, as the official who called the Independent report a “completely fabricated hoax.”
Rubio’s on-the-record response is the latest development.
Rubio defends Trump’s decisions
The Times also asked Rubio about Vice President JD Vance’s assessment that the war with Iran had hurt Republicans in the elections. Rubio initially said he was not “really involved in domestic politics,” then defended Trump’s willingness to take decisions he considered necessary despite their political costs.
Trump “deserves a tremendous amount of credit,” Rubio said. He described leadership as a willingness to do things that may not be politically popular but are necessary for the country and its long-term future.
JBizNews Desk | Politics
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