'I don't know where these things come from': Marco Rubio dismisses rumors about his departure from the administration and avoids discussing a 2028 presidential run
Rubio acknowledged that Trump pointed out that the war with Iran was one of the factors that influenced the election results.
Marco Rubio in a file photo.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an interview with The New York Times, dismissed the various speculations that have emerged in recent hours regarding his alleged intentions to leave President Donald Trump's administration following the debacle in the midterm elections, in which the Democrats took control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Rubio, who in recent weeks has been considered by some analysts and figures aligned with the Republican Party as the best-positioned candidate to be Trump's nominee for the 2028 presidential election, sought to put an end to speculation about his possible resignation by assuring the media outlet that working for the president until the end of his term "has always been my plan." Furthermore, elaborating on those rumors, the secretary of state added: "I don't know where these things come from, to be honest. I love the work I'm doing. And plus I always laugh when they say he's going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'"
As for whether or not he is interested in running for president in 2028, Rubio, who also serves as Trump's national security advisor, refused to answer: "I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore. I just won't do it." Likewise, when asked whether he agreed with the harsh criticism leveled by Vice President JD Vance after the midterm elections, Rubio declined to comment and stated that he was not "really involved in internal politics."
Similarly, Rubio acknowledged that Trump had noted that the war was one of the factors that influenced the election results. "Higher prices at the gas pump, I acknowledge, is not like the kind of thing you campaign on and brag about," the secretary said during the interview with the Times, adding that Trump "deserves enormous credit" for taking measures he considered necessary, even if they weren't popular with voters.
Resignation and a presidential run in 2028?
The secretary's remarks came in response to a Bloomberg article which noted that Rubio was weighing the possibility of leaving the Trump administration, according to several people familiar with the matter, while also evaluating his next steps after the midterm election results. According to the report, both the secretary of state and his advisors were said to be weighing options for his future.
Furthermore, Bloomberg noted that Rubio has not yet decided whether he will resign from his positions as the U.S. top diplomat and national security advisor, nor is there a planned timeline for a possible departure. The news agency even reported that the secretary of state had spoken with other White House officials about the possibility of resigning and that Trump's inner circle had reportedly asked him to remain in his posts.
Shortly after the article was published, the head of Public Affairs for the U.S. State Department, Dylan Johnson, denied it and claimed Bloomberg was spreading false information based on anonymous sources. Johnson also denied that the secretary of state had held such conversations.
In addition, journalist David Alandete noted in an article published in Spain's ABC newspaper that sources consulted by the newspaper said Rubio's inner circle was "testing the waters" regarding a hypothetical presidential run for 2028. Alandete also noted in his article that "quite a few Republicans in Washington" are currently working to make Rubio the party's presidential candidate, adding that, while these discussions had been taking place discreetly, the process has accelerated following the Democratic landslide in the midterms.
One of the most revealing details highlighted by the journalist in his ABC article is that two people familiar with conversations that have taken place within the Secretary of State's inner circle over the past few months, well before the midterm elections, allegedly stated that the possibility of leaving the administration in 2027 had been discussed in those circles. However, Alandete noted that neither individual explained why Rubio would make this decision.
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