From Trump's rival to Trump’s problem solver: How Marco Rubio landed four top roles; critics say he did it by ‘becoming a doormat’
Written By Prapti Upadhayay
Published: May 03, 2025, 14:02 IST | Updated: May 03, 2025, 14:02 IST
Story highlights
World: Rubio, a former Florida senator, currently serves as secretary of State, interim national security adviser, acting administrator for USAID, and acting archivist of the United States.
Once dismissed by Donald Trump as “Li’l Marco”, Marco Rubio is now one of the most powerful figures in the Trump administration, holding not just one, but four top jobs. His transformation from political lightweight to presidential fixer has surprised many in Washington.
Under President Trump’s second term, Rubio has taken on a much larger role than expected. Initially seen as a weak player in Trump’s circle, he has now become someone the president turns to when things need to get done.
Speaking in the Rose Garden on Thursday, Trump said, “When I have a problem, I call up Marco. He gets it solved.”
Rubio, a former Florida senator, currently serves as secretary of State, interim national security adviser, acting administrator for USAID, and acting archivist of the United States.
Rubio’s rise seems tied to his ability to win Trump’s trust by abandoning many of his earlier views and backing some of the president’s most hard-line policies. He has managed to work well with other key figures in the administration, including Vice President JD Vance, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Senator James Risch, Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Politico, “When you take a job like this, you are no longer a free agent like you are when you're a United States senator… you commit to make happen what your boss wants to happen, and he has real ability to do that.”
While Rubio’s influence has grown, critics argue he’s paid a steep price for it. Many believe he’s abandoned core beliefs to stay in Trump’s good graces.
“Once you let yourself get trampled on, you lose respect, you lose cache, you lose your future in Washington, and Rubio is a doormat,” said Adam Ereli, a former US ambassador to Bahrain.
Rubio used to champion human rights and democracy programmes abroad. But now, under pressure from Trump’s “America First” agenda, and his MAGA supporters who see such efforts as wasteful and “woke”, Rubio has rolled back many of these programmes.
He once supported firm action on authoritarian regimes, spoke out for U.S. military involvement where needed, and was a strong backer of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. But as secretary of State, he has softened his stance, pushing Ukraine towards peace talks instead of continued resistance.
Rubio, who once spoke proudly of his Cuban immigrant roots, has now fully embraced Trump’s tough anti-immigration policies. He has backed measures to revoke student visas and approved plans to send migrants to a prison facility in El Salvador.
At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Rubio was asked whether he had requested El Salvador to send back a man the U.S. mistakenly deported. “I would never tell you that. And you know who else I’ll never tell? A judge,” he said.
“The conduct of our foreign policy belongs to the president of the United States and the executive branch, not some judge,” he added.