Donald Trump has nominated Marco Rubio as his Secretary of State – after telling Joe Biden in a White House meeting: “Politics is tough.”
Rubio’s nomination as America’s top diplomat came after Trump met the outgoing president for the first time since his election win last week over Kamala Harris in the US presidential election.
The pair met in the Oval Office as they discussed plans to transition power.
Trump and Mr Biden shook hands and exchanged small talk in the Oval Office while also discussing plans to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, the White House said
“Thank you very much,” Mr Trump told Mr Biden. “Politics is tough. And it’s, in many cases, not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today and I appreciate it very much.”
He said the transition between the outgoing and incoming administrations “will be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe”.
Rubio, 53, is a noted foreign policy “hawk” – someone who takes hard-line positions – towards Iran and China, and has previously said Israel has “no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza.”
Nominating the Florida Senator Rubio for the role,, Mr Trump said: “Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom.
“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.”
The meeting came as Trump continued putting together his top team with the nomination of Rubio, 53, a foreign policy ‘hawk’ with hardline positions towards Iran and China,
Mr Rubio has previously said Israel has “no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza.”
Nominating the Florida Senator Rubio for the role, Mr Trump said: “Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom.
“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.”
Rubio wrote on X: “Leading the US Department of State is a tremendous responsibility and I am honored by the trust President Trump has placed in me.
“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else.
Rubio and Trump were opponents in the race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and the two developed a bitter rivalry, with Trump referring to the senator as “little Marco” and Rubio mocking Trump’s “small hands”.
But Rubio went on to endorse his rival and campaigned for him ahead of the 2024 election.
While supportive of Ukraine, he previously said the country’s war with Russia needed to “be brought to a conclusion”.
It comes as projections predicted Republicans have won the majority of seats in the US House, giving Trump control of both houses of Congress and the presidency when he assumes office in January.
Trump will also be backed by a conservative-leaning Supreme Court with a 6-3 rightward majority, including three justices he appointed when previously in office.
Trump brought “a detailed set of questions” to the meeting with Mr Biden, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Ms Jean-Pierre said the meeting was “indeed, very cordial, very gracious, and substantive.”
She told media: “I think by the length of the meeting, (that) tells you that they had an in-depth conversation on an array of issues.”
She added that Mr Biden “is always going to, obviously, keep that line of communication open to the president-elect.”
Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend the meeting after her election loss.
The cordial meeting was a sharp contrast to the criticism the two men have hurled at each other for years.
Biden, 81, portrayed Trump as a threat to democracy, but his rival branded him “sleepy Joe”, and claimed that he and Kamala Harris were responsible for failing on two key issues for voters – the cost of living and immigration.
Trump’s motorcade rolled through the heavily guarded White House gate on Wednesday as he was greeted by Mr Biden, who defeated him in the 2020 election.
Biden initially ran against Trump in the 2024 election before stepping aside and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Although Mr Biden intended to use the meeting to show continuity, the transition itself is partially stalled.
Trump’s team, which has already announced some members of the incoming president’s cabinet, has yet to sign agreements that would lead to office space and government equipment, according to the White House.
“Trump-Vance transition lawyers continue to constructively engage with the Biden-Harris Administration lawyers regarding all agreements contemplated by the Presidential Transition Act,” said Brian Vance, a spokesperson for the Trump transition, referring to the law that governs the transfer of power.
Although the White House declined to give details, it is thought the two men discussed foreign policy – including both the Israel-Gaza conflict, and the Ukraine conflict.
Mr Biden’s poor performance then heightened concerns about his age among fellow Democrats and led to his departure from the US presidential race.
Ms Harris became the Democratic nominee instead, running a short campaign that ended in her loss.
