Trump expected to nominate 'top China hawk' Marco Rubio for Secretary of State

Donald Trump is expected to nominate Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, following the former Republican President's win in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

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Described by some news outlets to be a "top China hawk", Rubio has advocated for sanctions against Chinese companies and has been vocal about human rights issues in China, including its treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

Trump will be returning to the White House in January 2025.

"Top China hawk", say news outlets

Rubio has been outspoken about the "real threat" China holds to the U.S., calling for a national security review of TikTok's acquisition of Musical.ly in 2019 and a demand to block sales to Huawei in 2024 following the company's release of a new laptop powered by an Intel AI processor chip.

The Florida senator has also been supportive of NATO and Israel's war in Gaza, as well as a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, voting against a US$95 billion (S$127 billion) military aid package for Ukraine in April.

News outlets – including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Reuters — reported on Nov. 11 that Trump appeared to have settled on Rubio.

By having Rubio be the first Latino to serve as the nation's top diplomat, Reuters suggested that it "may help consolidate electoral gains among Latinos" and would show Latinos "have a place at the highest levels of his administration".

However, there is still a possibility that the upcoming president may change his mind about the Florida senator.

In 2016, a face-off between the two candidates for Republican president saw Trump mockingly describe Rubio as "Little Marco" while the latter responded with an insult regarding the former's hand size.

Their relationship appeared to have sweetened over the years, with Rubio campaigning for Trump during the 2024 Presidential Elections.

He was also a leading contender as Trump's vice president during the presidential elections.

During a meeting with top U.S. leaders in 2014, Singapore's former PM Lee had met with Rubio — alongside other Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) senators — to exchange views on the U.S.'s engagement of Asia and the Trans-Pacific Partnership's significance to the U.S.'s involvement in the region, The Straits Times reported.

Other contenders for Trump's cabinet

Republican of Florida Michael Waltz and Republican of New York Elise Stefanik are also expected to be picked as the national security advisor and ambassador to the United Nations respectively.

Both have also been strong Trump supporters with an aggressive stance towards China.

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Top image via @marcorubio/Instagram