FT: Trump shifts foreign policy under Rubio’s growing influence

US President Donald Trump has recalibrated his approach toward Russia, China, Iran, and Venezuela under the growing influence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Financial Times reports, citing sources close to Rubio.

While some observers suggest Rubio himself has undergone a transformation, his allies strongly reject that notion. They argue that Rubio has remained steadfast in his core beliefs and has successfully guided Trump toward a more assertive and confrontational stance on foreign affairs, particularly with regard to China, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela.

“One can clearly see a revitalised US foreign policy under this administration, especially on China, Russia, Ukraine, and Iran,” said a former Rubio aide and longtime friend. “This is largely due to the high-level advice Rubio offers the president and other senior officials on a daily basis.”

The man once mocked by Trump as “little Marco” during the 2016 Republican primaries is now regarded as one of the most influential members of the cabinet. In addition to serving as Secretary of State, Rubio currently holds multiple acting roles: National Security Adviser, Administrator of USAID, and head of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Rubio has also managed to solidify support among MAGA hardliners who had previously criticised him for being too lenient on immigration. Former opponents such as Stephen Miller, now deputy chief of staff at the White House, and Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, have both come to view him as a trusted ally.

“He’s going to be the Kissinger of our time,” Miller declared during a Fox News appearance in May. “And I’m proud to work with him.”

Perhaps the most dramatic shift under Rubio’s tenure has been the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). According to official figures, 83 per cent of its programs have been eliminated, 94 per cent of its staff dismissed, and the agency’s remaining responsibilities absorbed into the State Department.

This move surprised many, as Rubio had previously been a vocal supporter of USAID during his time in the Senate. He had praised its disaster relief operations in Latin America, its work combating polio and Ebola, and its aid to Venezuelan refugees fleeing Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

However, in a July 1 blog post, Rubio launched a scathing critique of the agency, writing: “Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War.”

Despite this, Rubio maintains that the overhaul of USAID should not be seen as a sign of American retreat from the global stage. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in May, he pointed out that he had visited 18 countries in as many weeks, quipping that he had seen some foreign ministers more often than his own children. “That doesn’t sound like much of a withdrawal,” he said.

Rubio also highlighted several recent diplomatic achievements by the Trump administration. These include brokering a ceasefire between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, mediating a peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, securing NATO’s commitment to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035, and launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

“And it’s not even been six months,” Rubio remarked.

By Tamilla Hasanova