By Randy Alonso Falcon on August 12, 2025
Marco Rubio
Amid the diplomatic hustle and bustle surrounding the upcoming summit between Trump and Putin, the US Secretary of State walks with a heavy heart through the corridors of the Harry Truman Building in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.
Despite his efforts to present himself as a presidential contender for 2028, Marco Rubio is sinking deeper and deeper in the eyes of the American public. A recent Gallup poll shows him to be the most unpopular prominent member of Trump’s cabinet and one of the three most rejected figures by Americans, surpassed only by the eccentric Elon Musk and the genocidal Benjamin Netanyahu.
Rubio went from a net favorable rating of +8 (41% favorable, 33% unfavorable) in January to -16 (31% favorable, 47% unfavorable) in July, a 24-point drop in net favorability.
Public opinion appears to be taking Rubio to task for cuts to foreign aid, the firing of thousands of State Department employees, erratic policies toward Cuba and Venezuela, and his hypocritical flip-flopping on immigration.
His remarks at the scandalous Trump-Zelensky meeting filled social media with memes. The furious advocate of tougher sanctions against Russia now has to eat his words and defend the negotiations with the “evil Russian” that his boss enthusiastically promotes.
Although President Trump keeps him quite busy running both the State Department and the National Security Council, Rubio has been sidelined from the empire’s major international negotiations. Not in Venezuela, Russia, or the Middle East, three key areas for Washington’s foreign policy, has the head of US diplomacy been the main negotiator sent by the White House.
That role has been taken on by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s close friend and Special Envoy for Special Affairs, who is said to be eyeing Rubio’s cabinet seat. According to sources, Rubio is frustrated by his lack of influence on foreign policy decisions, despite being the administration’s top diplomat.
Rubio’s discontent with Trump reportedly began before the meeting with Zelensky, with the Secretary of State feeling sidelined by the appointment of special envoys and other decisions by the president. The tension between Trump and Rubio has raised questions about how long the Secretary of State will remain in his post.
To add insult to injury for the Florida politician, Trump is already showing off red caps with the inscription “Trump 2028” to journalists and visitors to the White House. Will Mr. Rubio be dealt another blow?
Source: Cubadebate translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English