FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
President-elect Donald Trump is likely to pick Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, according to CNN sources.
Trump was initially believed to be leaning toward Richard Grenell, but later in the day, he shifted his preference to Rubio after a series of phone calls and conversations with the Florida senator's allies. Grenell served as Trump's ambassador to Germany and later as acting director of national intelligence during his first administration.
Until an offer is officially made, CNN's sources said, Trump could change his mind.
With Trump likely to select Rubio as his top diplomat and, as CNN previously reported, another Florida senator, Mike Waltz, is expected to serve as his national security adviser.
The New York Times first reported on Trump's expected bid for Rubio.
Rubio, who was running for vice president, had made it clear he was interested in joining Trump's cabinet if it was for the right role, several sources familiar with the process told CNN.
After his failure in the 2016 GOP presidential race, Rubio rebuilt his image as a populist in Washington. At the same time, he emphasized his foreign policy credentials as the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee while building relationships in his own party, across the aisle and around the globe.
Rubio — who has spent more than a decade focusing on the "China threat" theory — was sanctioned along with five other U.S. lawmakers by the Chinese government in 2020 for "misbehavior in matters related to Hong Congo". Now, current and former US officials say China will likely have to lift those sanctions in order to deal with it.
In 2016, Rubio and Trump's relationship soured in the final days of his campaign, with Rubio publicly attacking Trump, saying he would not “make America great. He's going to turn America orange,” mocking the size of Trump's hands and calling him a “fraud” vying to take over the leadership of the Republican Party.
But since then, Rubio and Trump's relationship has not only been mended, but strengthened.
Lini një Përgjigje