Trump's Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Revealed

President-elect Donald J. Trump is expected to name Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, three people familiar with the matter told The New York Times. Mr. Trump is moving quickly to assemble his foreign policy and national security team.

He could still change his mind at the last minute, these people said, but appears to have settled on Mr. Rubio, whom he also considered as his running mate this year.

Mr. Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010 and has established himself as a hardliner on foreign policy, especially toward China and Iran.

He initially disagreed with Republicans skeptical of foreign interventions, but has recently aligned with Mr Trump on issues such as Russia's war in Ukraine, saying the conflict was at a stalemate and "must end".

Mr. Rubio was a loyal surrogate for Mr. Trump throughout the election campaign even after he was not selected as the vice-presidential candidate.

A spokesman for Mr. Rubio declined to comment, and a spokesman for Mr. Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.

US President-elect Donald Trump has previously chosen Republican Congressman Mike Waltz as his national security adviser, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Mr. Waltz, a Trump loyalist who served in the National Guard as a colonel, criticized China’s activities in the Asia- Pacific and said the United States must be ready for a potential conflict in the region.

While criticizing the Biden administration for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in 2021, Mr. Waltz publicly praised Mr. Trump's foreign policy views.

The national security adviser is a key role that does not require Senate confirmation. Mr. Waltz will be responsible for reporting to Trump on key national security issues and coordinating with various agencies.

Mr. Waltz has a long history in Washington politics . He served as defense policy director for defense secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates and was elected to Congress in 2018.

He is chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee that oversees military logistics and is also a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence. Mr. Waltz is also a member of the Republican Party's China Task Force.

Mr. Waltz proved his loyalty to Mr. Trump in early 2024 when he appeared at Trump’s court hearing on May 16 in Manhattan.

Phuong Anh (Source: NYT, Reuters)

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