Overview
- A White House spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that President Trump signed a commission appointing Secretary of State Marco Rubio as national security adviser, making the acting assignment permanent.
- Rubio has served as acting national security adviser since May 1, 2025, after he replaced Michael Waltz following Waltz’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
- In his dual role Rubio will continue to oversee the National Security Council staff and serve as the president’s direct adviser on foreign policy, intelligence, and defense matters while remaining secretary of state.
- Holding both positions at once is rare: Rubio is only the second person to do so, following Henry Kissinger’s similar arrangement in the 1970s.
- The consolidation reduces formal checks on the adviser role because it needs no Senate approval, concentrates policy-making power within one office, and follows Rubio’s earlier interim oversight of USAID and the National Archives before he delegated those duties.