The new Trump administration has only been underway for a few hours, and events are happening at a breakneck pace. The new president has been sworn in, the aged one (Biden) has flown into the sunset, and changes are occurring by the minute as Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders. Meanwhile, the Senate has passed the Laken Riley Act, country superstar Carrie Underwood has overcome a technical glitch and delivered a performance for the ages, and there is an optimism in the country that has noticeably disappeared after four long years of Biden misery.
And now we have a new secretary of state, former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was confirmed in the Senate on Monday by an overwhelming 99-0 majority.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram summed it up very succinctly in a tweet:
The Senate confirms Rubio as secretary of state by a vote of 99-0
– Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 20, 2025
Rubio is the first of Trump’s Cabinet members to be confirmed.
It’s a new day: The Laken-Riley bill clears the Senate and heads back to the House
Trump’s foreign policy priorities come into clear focus at Marco Rubio’s inauguration hearing
It’s not often that a cabinet pick is confirmed by one unanimous vote:
The Senate voted Monday to confirm Marco Rubio as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, the first senior Cabinet official in the new administration to be approved by the chamber.
The confirmation vote took place just hours after Trump was sworn in as president. The largely bipartisan vote was 99-0, with no senators voting against the nomination.
Rubio has been a Republican senator from Florida since 2011 and his nomination drew mighty support from a number of Senate Democrats, who described their colleague as highly qualified for the role.
In a remarkable political shift in recent years, Rubio has gone from Trump opponent to ally. Now he will play a key role as a senior official in Trump’s new administration.
Florida’s other senator, Rick Scott, said he would miss his compatriot but knew he would do a good job:
I am elated to confirm my friend, @MarcoRubioas our next Foreign Minister! He was a great senator who fought every day to improve the lives of Florida families.
I will miss him in the Senate, but I know he will do a fantastic job leading the State Department. pic.twitter.com/t6BEZGaM4b
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) January 20, 2025
Although Rubio and Trump clashed during their 2016 presidential bid — Trump won the entire enchilada that year — they have since put aside their differences and become allies.
What he had to say at his confirmation hearings impressed both Republicans and Democrats:
Under questions from senators, Rubio expressed support for NATO – and for bipartisan legislation he co-sponsored that says the U.S. cannot withdraw from the alliance without Senate approval or an act of Congress.
Rubio also spoke during his confirmation hearing about the need for a mighty U.S. stance against China, calling out the Chinese Communist Party a “powerful” and “dangerous” opponent.
“They are a technological opponent and competitor, an industrial competitor, an economic competitor, a geopolitical competitor, a scientific competitor. Now it is an extraordinary challenge in any field and one that I believe will shape the 21st century,” Rubio said.
“We allowed them to get away scot-free, And frankly, the Chinese have done what any country in the world would do given these opportunities: they took advantage of it, and now we have to deal with the consequences,” he said.
As our Brad Slager reported, Sunshine State Gov. Ron DeSantis has picked state Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Rubio in the Senate.
BREAKING – Ron DeSantis announces his decision to replace Marco Rubio’s vacated Senate seat
Things are moving quickly. Stay tuned here at RedState for the latest news as Trump’s comeback continues.
