Jury is out on Rubio in Senate, as some lose faith

Some of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s former Democratic colleagues are already expressing regret over their votes in support of the former senator. 

But his boosters on both sides of the aisle aren’t ready to give up on his ability to influence President Trump.

“Long term he will have a real influence. Short term, I think he’s probably still getting his feet on the ground,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a staunch Ukraine supporter, told The Hill. 

“As long as they provide him with the opportunity to make a difference, Marco can do some really good things for this administration.”

Confirmed on day one of the administration, Rubio has been a spokesperson for a foreign policy that often diverges from his past positions, particularly those on the Ukraine war and standing up to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. 

Rubio has also been the face of Trump and Elon Musk’s crusade against the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been reduced to a shell by a spending freeze and mass firings. And Trump appeared to put Rubio in charge of the tall task of gaining control of the Panama Canal, joking during his joint address to Congress that he’d know who to blame if the efforts fail. 

“Marco’s been amazing, and he’s going to do a great job,” the president added.

But nothing is testing Rubio’s credibility in the Senate like Trump’s hard shift toward Putin, and away from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a push for peace talks. 

“His position now is secretary of sycophants, not secretary of State,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

“Senator Rubio, his words, his actions, his legislation, he was one way, and somehow when he walked through that door and took that oath to become secretary, they are not one and the same,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“So I will say, maybe I regret it and I’m very disappointed — he knows all of these things, he’s been working on it, he has the record, and why isn’t he standing up to what he’s always believed in? So I express a lot of disappointment, I think in his lack of confidence in himself and therefore his beliefs.” 

Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) both said they regretted backing Rubio during Sunday show interviews last weekend.

Sitting stone-faced and silent during an explosive Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelensky, Rubio’s expression was closely watched for signs of discomfort, given his long-standing, ardent support for Ukraine.

“The only thing that matters is getting Putin to negotiate,” Rubio told host George Stephanopoulos last weekend on ABC’s “This Week.”

The full-throated defense of Trump has been a consistent part of Rubio’s public remarks. Behind closed doors, he’s fielding calls from shocked European allies and worried senators.  

“I’m actively communicating with Secretary Rubio,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who said he is focused on restoring U.S. foreign aid that Trump froze on his first day in office. 

One Democratic aide familiar with discussions in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said there’s an understanding about Rubio’s difficult position: If he pushes back against Trump, he’ll be out of a job, and will have no influence at all.

Some senators still see Rubio’s foreign policy experience and familiarity with the State Department as assets, despite Trump being the ultimate decider. 

“I stay in contact with Marco. And he’s in the middle of it. There’s a lot of chefs in the kitchen, and he’s one of them,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

One of these chefs is Musk, who directed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to take a sledgehammer to USAID, the independent foreign aid group nominally under Rubio’s purview.

“I think it would be easier for [Rubio] if all the DOGE recommendations went through him,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). 

There are some signals Rubio is gaining ground on that front. Trump recently announced an apparent curb to Musk’s authority, saying agency heads would oversee any workforce reductions, using a metaphorical scalpel, instead of a hatchet.

And Trump reportedly backed Rubio following a contentious back-and-forth with Musk during a Cabinet meeting, with the president saying Rubio is doing “a great job.” 

Rubio is traveling to Saudi Arabia next week for a high-stakes meeting with Ukrainian officials, aiming to repair ties ruptured during the Oval Office debacle. On the line for Kyiv is restoring U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing, which Trump halted this week. 

One former senior Republican official said Rubio seemed handicapped by not having his team fully in place at the State Department, adding it’s unclear who his allies are in the administration. 

“One possible ally, Keith Kellogg, seems to have already been marginalized in his role,” the former official said. Trump originally appointed Kellogg as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, but has handed communication with the Kremlin to one of his closest confidants, Steve Witkoff.

Witkoff is heading to Saudi Arabia with Rubio next week, alongside national security adviser Mike Waltz. 

“Waltz, I think there was hope there that he could be an ally of Rubio’s. He’s in a tough spot too. And he, arguably even more, has to toe the line than Rubio does, so I don’t think Rubio has found an ally there so far,” the former official said.  

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said she did not regret voting for Rubio’s confirmation. But others wondered what happened to the Rubio they once worked alongside. 

“I don’t know what’s happened to Marco Rubio,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“He has been a strong and effective defender of Ukraine. He has fought against dictators, particularly Putin when they invaded Ukraine. He has been a consistent and steady supporter of food and medicine for little babies all around the world.”

Trump joked about Rubio’s 99-0 vote in the Senate during his joint address on Tuesday, saying “I’m either very, very happy about that or I’m very concerned about it.”

Republican allies said the attention from Trump during the high-profile speech was a sign of Rubio’s continued influence within the administration. 

“I talk to him daily, sometimes multiple times a day. I never find him on the outside of things, ever,” said Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 

“You just don’t appreciate the president’s humor. That’s the problem.” 

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also downplayed Trump’s ribbing.

“Donald Trump often says one thing on Tuesday and then takes it back on Wednesday.”

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