The first of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees has taken his oath of office.
Now-former Sen. Marco Rubio was sworn in Tuesday morning as secretary of state by Vice President JD Vance. He replaces Antony Blinken in the position.
The Senate unanimously confirmed Rubio for the position on Monday hours after Trump took office for his second term. The vote was 99-0. No senators voted against Rubio, CNN reported.
Rubio was called “well-qualified” to fill the top diplomat job during his confirmation by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). He said during the hearing that he supported NATO and that the U.S. cannot withdraw from the organization without Senate approval or an act of Congress. He also had tough words concerning the Chinese Communist Party.
“We’ve allowed them to get away with things, and frankly the Chinese did what any country in the world would do given these opportunities, they took advantage of it, so now we’re dealing with the ramifications of it,” he said.
He also said he thinks the war between Ukraine and Russia should end.
“What (Russian President) Vladimir Putin has done is unacceptable, there’s no doubt about it, but this war has to end, and I think it should be the official policy of the United States that we want to see it end,” he said.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, Rubio said that the government, including the State Department, needs to make the country stronger, safer or more prosperous.
“If it doesn’t do one of those three things, we will not do it,” Rubio said, according to The Associated Press.
Vance called Rubio a “bipartisan solutions seeker.” The two served together in the Senate.
The newest secretary of state was the Republican senator from Florida, serving since 2011. He also ran for president against Trump in 2016 where Trump called Rubio a “con artist” and “Little Marco,” CNN reported. But Rubio quickly became a supporter of the 45th and 47th president and was on the short list for Trump’s running mates in 2024, CBS News reported.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill the seat Rubio vacated, CBS News reported.
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