Tensions are brewing over President-elect Trump’s move to tap Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to serve as secretary of State, with some of the president-elect’s allies voicing concerns about the pick.
The choice has already set into motion the process of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) choosing a replacement for Rubio in the Senate, and some senators have already said they would vote to confirm Rubio.
But while Trump’s choice of Rubio received praise from various Republicans and Democrats, those in the so-called MAGA wing of the GOP have expressed a mix of surprise and disappointment about the pick, with many hoping Trump would choose former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell.
“I’ve been most surprised with the Rubio pick,” said one source close to the transition, who described the Florida senator as “not that MAGA.”
The delay in formally announcing Rubio raised questions about whether Trump was navigating how to move forward amid the internal disagreement, but Trump’s announcement came shortly after Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) was elected Senate majority leader.
“To me what that looks more towards was making sure that Rubio was being able to be a part of the Senate majority leader elections,” said Alex Stroman, Trump’s 2017 inaugural spokesperson and a personal friend of Grenell’s.
Stroman said Rubio is someone Republicans are happy about and the kind of person Trump wanted from the outset.
“Anytime that you have nominations for a president’s Cabinet, there are discussions that play out both publicly and privately,” he said.
The source who expressed surprise about Rubio suggested the pick may have been influenced by Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff who has worked for decades in Florida politics.
The New York Times first reported late Monday that Trump was expected to name Rubio as his secretary of State nominee, and Trump on Wednesday confirmed the choice in a statement.
“He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said.
On Monday, following reports that Trump would pick Rubio, conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk warned his followers to not “jump to conclusions.”
“If Trump hasn’t confirmed it on Truth, don’t jump to conclusions and don’t believe everything you see,” Kirk wrote.
And earlier this week, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had expressed opposition to the prospect of Rubio being nominated for the position.
The decision to make Rubio secretary of State is far from the most controversial choice Trump has made during his transition so far. Shortly after announcing his intention to nominate the senator, Trump also announced he had picked another Florida Republican, Rep. Matt Gaetz, to be attorney general, a move that drew stunned responses from many Republicans on Capitol Hill.
While many in MAGA world have expressed displeasure at the idea of Trump appointing Rubio, others seem to be on board with the scenario if it means Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law, will fill his Senate seat.
On Tuesday, Maye Musk posted on the social platform X that Lara Trump should be Rubio’s replacement and called the upper chamber “an old man’s club.” Elon Musk reposted his mother’s post, writing that “Lara Trump is genuinely great.”
Elon Musk’s approval of Lara Trump in the position is notable given his recent close proximity to President-elect Trump. Musk has been a constant presence around Mar-a-Lago and even appeared in Trump’s family photo following his election win.
Several other Trump allies have weighed in to support the idea of Lara Trump being the pick, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who argued in a post on X that appointing the president-elect’s daughter-in-law would help avoid a “messy primary” in 2026.
With the president-elect’s decision to nominate Rubio, the choice of his replacement in the Senate will fall to DeSantis. A source familiar with the matter told The Hill that DeSantis’s chief of staff was favored for the position and that the other candidates include Florida’s lieutenant governor and attorney general. The source said that the president-elect may push for his daughter-in-law, but later added “our governor has not gotten a call about appointing Lara.”
Sources have been reluctant to openly discuss the dynamics surrounding the nomination and the subsequent domino effect on Florida politics and in MAGA world.
Rubio has had something of a winding journey to become one of Trump’s closer allies. He and Trump were fierce rivals during the 2016 GOP primary, with the two exchanging insults about their manhood.
But the senator became an informal adviser to Trump during his first term, and Rubio was one of three finalists considered to be Trump’s running mate this year before Vice President-elect JD Vance got the nod.
To be sure, the Rubio pick has gotten a warm reception from members of both parties. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said he would vote to confirm Rubio, and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) praised the choice.
But Rubio has also faced criticism from some Trump allies for being too much of a foreign policy hawk, a term Trump has used disparagingly to talk about rivals like former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
However, his tough approach to China and Iran largely aligns with Trump’s talk on the campaign trail, and Rubio has in recent weeks argued the Ukraine-Russia conflict will need to end through a negotiated agreement, something that also echoes what Trump has said on the topic.
Grenell, comparatively, has been one of Trump’s staunchest allies dating back to the start of his first term, and he had been something of an envoy for the president-elect while he was out of office.
Grenell previously served as ambassador to Germany and acting director of intelligence during Trump’s first term. He joined Trump during a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and he was an active presence on the campaign trail.
In what could be seen as a tacit acknowledgment of the divisions over Trump’s choice, Grenell congratulated Rubio on X on Wednesday night. The Florida senator promptly responded.
“Thank you! Kind words from a great American who will be a vital part of protecting America and Americans in the years to come!” Rubio tweeted.
