Looking Back at Four Years of Multilateralism And How It All May Change Overnight Under the New Trump Administration.
Article Written by Dave Reynolds
Leaders from around the world are bracing themselves for the new Trump administration and remain curious as to what his new Secretary of State will bring to the international stage. But just who is Marco Rubio and how will he change his predecessor's legacy of diplomacy?
About Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio credits his parents’ decision to immigrate to the United States from Cuba in 1956 for “the privilege to be born a citizen of the greatest nation in the history of the world.” Rubio’s father worked as a banquet bartender, while his mother worked as a hotel maid and stay-at-home mother.
The U.S. Senate historically confirmed Rubio 99-0 as secretary of state just hours after President Trump took his oath of office on January 20. The Miami native was sworn in to a role that stretches back to Thomas Jefferson, the first U.S. secretary of state, and is the highest-ranking Hispanic American official in U.S. history.
At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said he remains committed to placing America’s core national interests above all else. “Under President Trump, the top priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States,” he said. “The direction [President Trump] has given for the conduct of our foreign policy is clear."
Rubio went on to say, "Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, every policy we pursue must be justified by the answer to one of three questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?"
Rubio was serving his third term in the U.S. Senate — having represented Florida since 2011 — when Trump nominated him. Rubio has been an influential voice in U.S. foreign policy as a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
As one of Florida’s two senators, Rubio traveled to dozens of countries over his time in the Senate and met with countless foreign leaders to advance America’s foreign policy priorities.
Rubio was an author of key bipartisan legislation on China and fought to hold the Chinese government accountable for its human rights abuses against the Uyghurs and in Hong Kong. He also has played a central role in shaping U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America, sponsoring legislation requiring sanctions against human rights abusers in Venezuela and imposing sanctions against members of the Cuban regime.
For years, Rubio led the bipartisan legislation that reauthorized the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Before becoming a U.S. senator, Rubio served as a city commissioner in West Miami, Florida, and as speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law. He and his wife, Jeanette, have four children.
The Legacy of Rubio's Predecessor, Antony Blinken
In 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin made various claims to justify his war against Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken quickly shared information to ensure world leaders knew the truth.
University of Texas at Austin history professor, Jeremi Suri, believes this move was a perfect example of Blinken’s sharp focus on building international trust and cooperation during his tenure as secretary of state.
“Putin tried to get the world to believe that Ukraine was the aggressor,” Suri says. U.S. officials “were super effective at counteracting that, because we shared information with our allies. We showed them what we knew. We built trust; that’s diplomacy.”
When the U.S. provided military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, so did the European Union, its member states and other partners. Their combined contributions were significant. The U.S. also worked with European allies to add Finland and Sweden to NATO, strengthening the alliance that has ensured peace to many nations since World War II. Most notably,
When President Biden announced a ceasefire on January 15 between Israel and Hamas, Blinken was at his side.
“I have worked in foreign policy for decades — this has been one of the toughest negotiations I have ever experienced,” Biden said, adding that Blinken led a team of American diplomats in the effort.
Speaking the next day, Blinken said the deal to free hostages and surge humanitarian aid to those in need also creates space to work toward a permanent ceasefire.
“This is a moment of tremendous relief for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Blinken said. “It’s also a moment of historic possibility for the region and well beyond.”
Professor Jeffrey Engel, director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, says that Blinken will be remembered for relationship-building. He specifically cites Blinken’s leadership of a unified response to Putin’s war.
“One of Putin’s goals in invading Ukraine was to destabilize NATO,” Engel says. President “Biden and Blinken, to their great, great historical credit, [used] it as a moment to strengthen the organization [and] to defend Ukraine.”
The secretary also worked to further investment in trade and technology among the U.S. and Indo-Pacific countries, advancing a foreign policy “to exemplify the idea that a rising tide raises all boats,” Engel says.
The United States is both the largest provider of foreign direct investment to Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries and the biggest recipient of foreign direct investment. In a December 2024 interview with Foreign Policy magazine, Blinken said, “Those relationships on foreign direct investment exhibit trust and confidence in the future” and help nations better respond to global challenges.
The Biden administration’s historic August 2023 Camp David summit with the leaders of Japan and the Republic of Korea fostered strong ties in the Indo-Pacific region. “We have seen more cooperation between South Korea and Japan than ever before,” Suri says, noting the countries now cooperate militarily and share information.
Blinken’s diplomatic efforts garnered some successes in the Middle East, historians said in conversations before the ceasefire announcement.
Peter Hahn, a history professor at Ohio State University, cites the multilateral defense of shipping in the Red Sea. In December 2023, the United States helped form a 20-nation coalition to protect vessels and their civilian crews from Houthi attacks and provide safe passage for humanitarian aid heading to Yemen.
Another example of successful multilateralism is the defense of Israel in April 2024, when the United States, France, Israel and the United Kingdom repelled Iran’s attack. Numerous other countries condemned Iran’s attack.
“When people think about Secretary Blinken, they’re really going to notice that he was in the room,” Engel says. “Wherever the international hot spot is, you know, he’s not doing it by phone, he’s doing it in person. That’s very important to successful foreign policy.”
Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in November 2023 (left photo). That same week, the secretary met with State Department colleagues during a break from a meeting with Israeli officials (right photo).
Given Blinken's last four years, many are wondering where America will go from here. Will Rubio turn Blinken's progress around or build upon it? Will Rubio serve as a buffer to Trump's will or a loyal enforcer of his policies? Only time will tell where Secretary Rubio will land in the history books.
Either way, change is on the horizon, and we all wish Secretary Rubio the very best.
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Dave Reynolds is a contributing writer for TheGenZPost.com and a full-time writer with the U.S. Department of State. He enjoys sharing compelling stories and images about American society, culture, and life, and about the principles that underlie our nation’s foreign policy and engagement with the world.
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