Marco Rubio becomes the first diplomat since Henry Kissinger to serve as secretary of State and national security adviser at the same time

With Mike Waltz being nominated as the new ambassador to the United Nations (UN), the post of National Security advisor was left in the hands of Marco Rubio, the current secretary of state. The former senator from Florida thus aggrandizes his figure, since he will have practically complete control to shape US diplomacy under the Trump Administration.

As explained by both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, Waltz's change in role is a product of a promotion. "I think a good case can be made that it's a promotion. We hired Mike to carry forward sweeping reforms at the National Security Council. And he did," Vance told Bret Baier in a recent Fox News interview.

In effect, Rubio became the second U.S. diplomat to hold both positions at the same time. The first was Henry Kissinger, precisely considered one of the most powerful diplomats to pass through the government.

Although Trump clarified that Rubio's position would be interim, some officials who spoke to Politico believe it could last at least six months, or even longer.

According to the cited media outlet's sources, both the chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and the president himself want Rubio to assume a more complete and encompassing control of foreign policy.

"You need a team player who is very honest with the president and the senior team—not someone trying to build an empire or wield a knife or drive their own agenda. He is singularly focused on delivering the president’s agenda," said one of the officials, highlighting the secretary of state's ability to earn the president's trust.

In turn, another noted that Rubio's main task in this dual role will be to stabilize and "reorient" the National Security Council: "He is the perfect person, because he understands the process and foreign policy, and he works well with the team, which is very important."