Overview

• Marco Rubio holds the titles of secretary of state and national security adviser, serving as the president’s primary executor of an America First agenda.
• He has consolidated influence inside the West Wing through small-group policy sessions in Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ office before recommendations go to the Oval Office.
• Rubio’s journey from a 2016 rival to a trusted confidant grew through steady outreach after 2020 and close ties to Trump’s inner circle.
• He amassed multiple roles, including stints as acting head of USAID and acting archivist, though he recently relinquished the USAID position.
• Scholars and critics say he has steered State Department tools toward domestic priorities such as visa denials and immigration restrictions, raising concerns about politicization.