Senate Confirms Marco Rubio as Secretary of State

On Monday, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, making him the first of President Donald Trump's Cabinet picks to secure their position.

Key Details: Rubio, who will be the first Latino Secretary of State, is a noted China hawk and opposes normalizing relations with Cuba. One of his biggest foreign policy challenges will be dealing with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Trump and his allies have criticized the Biden Administration for its handling of the conflict, which will enter its fourth year in February.

Key Quote: “No one on this body can doubt that Marco Rubio is an intelligent man with remarkable understanding of American foreign policy and a very deep commitment to the American dream,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in remarks on the Senate floor. 

For Context: Rubio, 53, has served as Senator from Florida since 2011. In 2016, he ran for president before dropping out and endorsing Trump. He was said to be on Trump's 2024 vice presidential shortlist.

How the Media Covered it: The Associated Press (Left bias) noted that Democrats are calculating that rather than blocking Trump's nominees, it's better for them to be seen as more willing to work with him and hold their opposition to other Trump picks who have less support in the Senate. Fox News (Right bias) noted that some Republicans have "expressed disdain" over Rubio's willingness to certify the 2020 election results, while Trump claimed the election was "stolen" from him.