US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied reports that he could leave President Donald Trump’s administration if the Republican Party is defeated in 2026 midterm elections.
Speculation about Rubio leaving started when reports surfaced that he was thinking about stepping down to prepare for a possible presidential run in 2028.
But Rubio has made it clear that leaving his job is not in the cards. In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, November 5 he said serving Trump until the end of his presidency had always been his goal: “Serving Trump until the end of his term was what I wanted to do all along.”
“It has always been my plan,” Rubio said when asked about his future in the administration. He also dismissed speculation that he would run for president again: “I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore. I just won’t do it.”
His comments came after The Independent reported that Rubio was on resignation watch and could leave his senior government position to prepare for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination (Republican sources in the US were cited as well as senior figures in the British government who said Rubio might consider leaving the administration).
Rubio is seen as a possible candidate for the Republican presidential nomination (vice president JD Vance has also been mentioned), and speculation about Rubio’s political future has increased as attention turns toward the next election.
The reports also came after Republicans suffered heavy defeats in the midterm elections on Nov. 3: Democrats took control of both the House and Senate fresh questions about Trump’s administration and its political future were raised.
Some reports said senior officials could be pressured to leave their jobs after the election. Rubio was among those mentioned in discussions about departures from the administration.
However, the State Department vehemently denied the claims. Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson called them “fake news” and criticized their reliance on anonymous sources.
Johnson also said that Rubio had not discussed leaving his post and would stay in Trump’s administration.
The White House also fought back against the resignation speculation, saying senior officials were not planning to leave after midterm results.
Rubio has two major jobs in the Trump administration Secretary of State and White House National Security Adviser. That puts him at the center of US foreign policy and national security discussions.
When asked if he might resign Rubio said to The New York Times: “I don’t know where these things come from, to be honest with you.”
His comments have put the immediate resignation speculation to bed but questions remain about his political ambitions. Rubio has not announced any decision to run for president in 2028 and has refused to discuss it publicly.
For now he says he plans to stay in the administration until Trump’s term is over. Whether or not he runs for president in 2028 remains an open question.
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