Rubio rules out leaving Trump administration as Vance questions Iran war after Republican election losses
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he intends to remain in President Donald Trump's administration until the end of his term, dismissing speculation that he might resign to prepare for a presidential run in 2028.
"Working for President Trump until the end of his term has always been my plan," Rubio told The New York Times in an interview published November 5.
"I love the work I'm doing," he said. Referring to reports that he might leave his position, Rubio joked: "I always laugh when they say he's going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'"
Rubio serves as both secretary of state and Trump's national security adviser.
He declined to discuss whether he might seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
"I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore," Rubio said.
The secretary of state has previously indicated that he would support Vice President JD Vance if Vance decided to run for president, describing him as a close friend and a potentially "phenomenal candidate."
Different responses to Republican election losses
Rubio's comments came after Republicans suffered major losses in the November 3 midterm elections, prompting competing assessments of the administration's policies.
In a lengthy social media post on November 4, Vance blamed the war with Iran for the party's poor performance and argued that Republican voters had grown dissatisfied with the administration's approach to Israel and its economic messaging, according to The New York Times.
His assessment appeared to distance him from Trump, who has defended his alignment with Israel and dismissed concerns about affordability.
Asked whether he agreed with Vance, Rubio initially said he was not closely involved in domestic politics.
He then defended Trump's decision to pursue the war, acknowledging that rising fuel prices were politically damaging.
"Higher prices at the gas pump, I acknowledge, is not like the kind of thing you campaign on and brag about," Rubio said.
However, he argued that Trump deserved credit for making decisions he considered necessary despite their political cost.
"Ultimately, that is the price of leadership — is the willingness to do things that may not be politically popular or expedient but are necessary for your country and its long-term future," Rubio said.
Trump had praised Rubio at a rally in Kansas on November 1, joking that the secretary of state had become so popular that he might have to fire him.
Both Rubio and Vance have been mentioned as potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, although neither has announced a campaign.