U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Sen. Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state has somewhat reassured U.S. development advocates that the incoming administration will not be entirely hostile to foreign assistance.
Rubio, a three-term Republican senator from Florida and the son of Cuban immigrants, has a record of support for U.S. global engagement, foreign assistance programs that further economic and national security, and U.S. aid reforms aimed at diversifying development partnerships.
In a statement on Trump’s social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday, he wrote that Rubio “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.”