Trump expected to pick Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his administration’s secretary of state in the coming days, according to three sources familiar with the selection process.

Trump could still change his mind, the sources warned, noting that the decision would not be final until the president-elect makes a formal announcement.

The New York Times first reported Trump’s plans to appoint Rubio as the country’s top diplomat.

Foreign policy is one of the few areas where there are deep philosophical differences among Trump’s base.

A key concern for Trump during the campaign was that he would implement the “America First” policy, a doctrine that emphasizes less foreign aid and seeks to limit U.S. involvement in current foreign conflicts and avoid future ones. But even among prominent Trump supporters, there is still a different foreign policy mindset.

Even though Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is an avowed Trump supporter, the perception is that he was one of the “less MAGA” options, as a Trump ally told NBC News. It’s a position that requires sufficiently appealing to Trump’s more isolationist political base, but also endorsing the less disruptive type of foreign policy that those Trump supporters generally oppose.

Rubio, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, was seen as a potential candidate who could sufficiently appeal to Trump’s political base without unnecessarily undermining relations with foreign allies.

A Trump ally said Rubio was someone “Trump’s base could trust.”

“While Marco is a little more aggressive than the new president and vice president, he is actually not as far removed from them as many people would assume at first glance,” said another Trump ally. “He has become much more aligned with the president on tariff issues. He has a similar stance on the China issue and even voted against the last round of funding for Ukraine.”

A current senior administration official told NBC News that Rubio would be a “serious” and “qualified” choice. The person said Rubio’s choice would be a relief considering that Ric Grenell, the highly controversial ambassador to Germany during Trump’s first term, was also being considered. Several career diplomats said they were concerned that the State Department would become politicized if Grenell was nominated.

Under the last Trump administration, the number of diplomats in senior ranks at the State Department declined, first through voluntary departures shortly after his election and later through attrition as the authority of their positions was transferred to political appointees.

Trump had previously considered Rubio as his vice presidential running mate before ultimately choosing Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.

If Rubio becomes secretary of state, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could choose a replacement. This election would be valid until at least 2026, when an election for the seat would be held.

Trump has made a number of other personnel announcements in recent days. On Monday, he announced plans to name former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-Fla., as the Environmental Protection Agency’s top administrator and appoint Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., as his national security adviser.

Last week he said Susie Wiles, his campaign manager, would become White House chief of staff. On Sunday, he named immigration hardliner Tom Homan his “border czar.”