Trump expected to choose Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida for secretary of state in his administration in the coming days, according to three sources familiar with the selection process.

Trump could still change his mind, the sources cautioned, noting that the decision wouldn't be finalized until he makes a formal announcement.

The New York Times first reported Trump's plans to select Rubio to be the country's top diplomat.

Foreign policy is one of the few areas in which there is a deep philosophical disagreement among Trump's base.

A main pitch from Trump during the campaign was that he would implement “America First” policies, a doctrine that emphasizes less foreign aid, trying to curtail U.S. involvement in current foreign conflicts and avoiding future ones. But there remains a different strain of foreign policy thinking among even prominent Trump supporters.

Even though Rubio is an avowed Trump supporter, the perception is that he was one of the "less MAGA" options, a Trump ally told NBC News. It’s a position that requires appealing enough to Trump’s more isolationist political base but also carrying water for the less disruptive brand of foreign policy that those Trump backers generally oppose.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Rubio, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and vice chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence, was seen as a potential pick able to thread the needle of appealing enough to Trump’s political base while not needlessly eroding relationships with foreign allies.

One Trump ally said Rubio was someone “Trump’s base could trust.”

• Add to Google

Trump makes first major appointments since winning election

02:13

“While Marco is a little more hawkish than the incoming president and vice president, he’s actually not as far away from them as many people might assume at first blush,” another Trump ally said. “He’s become far more aligned with the president on issues regarding tariffs. He has a similar stand on the China issue, and he even voted against the last round of Ukraine funding.”

A current senior administration official told NBC News that Rubio would be a “serious” and “qualified” choice. The person said picking Rubio would be a relief given reporting that Ric Grenell, the highly controversial ambassador to Germany during Trump’s first term, was also in the mix. Multiple career diplomats said they were concerned about the State Department’s becoming politicized if Grenell were nominated.

During the last Trump administration, the number of diplomats in senior ranks at the State Department plummeted, at first through voluntary departures soon after his election and later through attrition as the authority of their positions was redirected to political appointees.

Trump had considered Rubio as a running mate before he ultimately chose Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.

If Rubio becomes secretary of state, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would get to choose a replacement. That pick would serve until at least 2026, when an election would be held for the seat.

Trump has made a series of other staffing announcements in recent days. On Monday, he announced plans to nominate former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., as the Environmental Protection Agency's top administrator and to appoint Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., as his national security adviser.

Last week, he said Susie Wiles, his campaign manager, would be White House chief of staff. On Sunday, he named immigration hard-liner Tom Homan as his “border czar.”