The first four months of President Donald Trump’s second term has been a whirlwind of historic progress. From his executive actions to his reciprocal tariffs to his determination to bring peace to the world, President Trump has acted quickly to implement the Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda.
In the mission to undo the damage done by the last presidential administration, no cabinet member has been more instrumental than Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The 2016 GOP presidential candidate, who opposed Trump in the nomination campaign, and the former U.S. Senator from Florida, was unanimously confirmed by his Senate colleagues.
After witnessing Rubio’s bold moves as Secretary of State, some Democratic Senators regret their confirmation vote. At a contentious hearing last week, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told Rubio, “I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you as Secretary of State.” In response, Rubio said that his regret “confirms I’m doing a good job.”
Van Hollen is upset that Rubio is implementing the agenda the American people supported in the last election. He specifically criticized Rubio for revoking student visas, reducing foreign aid, dismantling United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, and deporting illegal aliens, such as Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the so-called “Maryland Man,” to El Salvador.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that the Trump administration “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States, Rubio correctly noted “No judge in the judicial branch can tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy.” Rubio informed Van Hollen that Abrego Garcia is a “human trafficker” and a “gang banger.” He also castigated Van Hollen for having “a margarita with” Abrego Garcia during his El Salvador junket.
Along with fiercely defending the President’s agenda in congressional hearings, media interviews and in negotiations with leaders of foreign countries, Rubio has been adding to his already significant responsibilities. Currently, Rubio may be the one person holding more jobs than billionaire Elon Musk.
As his spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, Rubio “has worn several hats from day one.” Along with his primary position as Secretary of State, Rubio is serving as the interim National Security Advisor and supervises both the National Archives and USAID.
Regarding USAID, Rubio announced that 83% of its programs were being canceled. In addition, he testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that only 12% of USAID funds were delivered to needy recipients. The rest of it was “pocketed by third parties” such as non-governmental organizations (NGO’s).
Rubio told committee members “We’re going to find more efficient ways to deliver aid to people directly, and it’s going to be directed by our regional bureaus, and it’s going to sponsor programs that make a difference, and it’s going to be part of a holistic approach to our foreign policy.”
Despite criticism from Democrats that the State Department was assuming the few legitimate activities of USAID, Rubio claimed that the United States still gives “more humanitarian support than the next 10 countries combined.”
In contrast, Rubio stated that America’s foremost adversary, China, has “zero record of doing humanitarian aid in the world.” Their program is “predatory lending, that’s what (the) Belt and Road Initiative is.”
Rubio is not only right, but he is also capable. When President Trump faces a problem, he calls Rubio because “he gets it solved.” This is why Trump has assigned Rubio the dual positions of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor.
While Rubio may only possess these additional responsibilities on an interim basis, Politico is reporting that the President plans to give him both titles permanently. The last person to hold both powerful positions was Henry Kissinger from 1973-1975, during the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
Rubio was entrusted with those positions because he knows that his role is to implement the President’s foreign policy. At a recent cabinet meeting, he said, “This president inherited 30 years of foreign policy that was built around what was good for the world. Under President Trump, we’re making a foreign policy now that’s — was it good for America? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America safer? And does it make America richer?”
With Rubio in control of the National Security Council (NSC), members not loyal to the President’s agenda are being removed. On Friday afternoon, the latest NSC layoffs were implemented as 100 “career officials” and “political appointees” were placed on “administrative leave” according to CNN.
Emails were sent at 4:20 p.m. ET by Brian McCormick, NSC Chief of Staff, just after “senior directors were summoned to a meeting with Rubio.”
When President Trump discussed previous NSC terminations in April, he said, “We’re always going to let go of people – people we don’t like or people that take advantage of or people that may have loyalties to someone else.”
As the President’s faith in Rubio grows, he will continue to exert considerable influence in the administration and fiercely defend the Trump agenda. The latest example occurred Saturday night in a filing to Biden appointed U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy, based in Massachusetts.
Murphy had previously ruled that the Trump administration’s deportation of eight illegal aliens to South Sudan “violated a prior preliminary injunction.” As noted by John Binder of Breitbart, these illegal aliens included “five convicted murderers, one convicted robber, one convicted child sex predator, and one convicted rapist. Several of the illegal aliens were also convicted of assault, and one was convicted of kidnapping in addition to his murder conviction.”
In his filing, Rubio claimed that the judge’s ruling would cause “significant and irreparable harm to United States foreign policy.” He continued, “This requirement has already had, and will continue to have, negative consequences to important U.S. strategic interests, including in Libya, South Sudan, and Djibouti.”
Whether it is confronting Democrats in congressional hearings, challenging liberal reporters, cleaning house at the NSC or defending the Trump agenda against rogue judges, it is Marco Rubio to the rescue.
Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award-winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs Saturdays from Noon until 1 p.m. CT nationally on Real America’s Voice TV Network & AmericasVoice.News and weekdays from 7-9 a.m. & 6-7 p.m. CT on WGSO 990-AM & Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America’s Last Chance and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on Crouere.net. For more information, email him at jcrouere@gmail.com
