U.S. President-elect Donald Trump nominated Florida Senator Marco Rubio to be his Secretary of State on Wednesday.
“He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump mentioned in an announcement. “I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!”
If confirmed by the Senate, he would assume the position amid a number of world crises and conflicts, from the Russian conflict in opposition to Ukraine to Israel’s conflict on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Rubio, 53, first elected to the Senate in 2010, is understood for his hardline stance on Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and China.
Recently, nevertheless, he has aligned extra intently with Trump’s international coverage, expressing help for the president-elect’s requires an finish to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, which he mentioned has reached a “stalemate” and “must be delivered to a conclusion.
Rubio, a staunch supporter of Israel, has persistently adopted hardline positions. Earlier this yr, he accused President Joe Biden of interesting to “anti-Semites” in the Democratic Party by criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza and urged the administration to revoke visas for foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, labeling them as “terrorist sympathizers.”
Last November, when confronted by a gaggle of activists in Congress, Rubio opposed requires a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, describing the Palestinian group as “vicious animals” and saying: “I would like (Israel) to destroy each aspect of Hamas they will get their fingers on.”
Rubio additionally led efforts to ban TikTok, arguing that it spreads “pro-Hamas, anti-Israel propaganda” and poses an “existential risk to our nation.”
Following an Iranian missile assault on Israel in October, he inspired a robust Israeli response.
“I urge the reimposition of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and fully support Israel’s right to respond disproportionately to stop this threat,” he mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com