Rubio the right choice for secretary of state

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Down the agelong of Donald Trump’s campaign, 1 legislator was stalwartly astatine his side.

And portion helium mightiness not person been the close prime for veep, particularly fixed J.D. Vance’s improvement passim the run that included Q&As successful each swing-state marketplace and an adept dismantling of Tim Walz successful past month’s debate, it’s clip to springiness that legislator the relation helium was calved for.

While Marco Rubio is so close erstwhile helium says, arsenic helium has for days, helium tin assistance Trump execute his objectives successful the Senate, the world is of each the radical connected the abbreviated database — Senate workfellow Bill Hagerty and erstwhile Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell among them — the 53-year-old Miami Republican is champion suited to execute Trump’s foreign-policy aims.

In interrogation aft interrogation with outlets crossed the ideological spectrum, Rubio shows a clear-eyed presumption of America’s myriad challenges connected the planetary stage. We’re good past the “indispensable nation” epoch of globalism espoused by figures similar erstwhile Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and America — with $36 trillion successful debt, overmuch of it accrued from erstwhile decades’ overseas conflicts — needs to prime its spots.

Rubio understands this, arsenic exemplified by his Trumpian realpolitik connected Ukraine.

“I deliberation the Ukrainians person been incredibly brave and beardown erstwhile lasting up to Russia. But astatine the extremity of the day, what we’re backing present is simply a stalemate war, and it needs to beryllium brought to a decision due to the fact that that state is going to beryllium acceptable backmost 100 years,” Rubio said.

Trump has positioned himself arsenic an honorable broker successful helping to litigate a bid betwixt Russia and Ukraine, and Rubio would recognize the assignment: to get that done successful a mode that protects America’s involvement and gives some sides successful that brutal warfare a accidental astatine bid with honor.

The legislator has besides been clear-eyed astir the concern successful Israel. And it hasn’t been elemental reflection and pontification from afar; helium was successful the state this year. 

Upon his return, helium reflected connected the indispensable confederation betwixt Israel and the United States, making it evident helium sees a shared ngo for the 2 countries.

“Israel’s enemies are besides our enemies. The Iranian authorities and its proxies . . . question Israel’s demolition arsenic portion of a multi-stage program to predominate the Middle East and destabilize the West. The Jewish authorities is connected the beforehand lines of this conflict, warring with galore shared American-Israeli lives,” helium wrote backmost successful May for National Review.

And determination is the question of the Western Hemisphere itself — a spot wherever America has for excessively agelong allowed Russia and China to subvert nationalist involvement and allies, including close disconnected US shores successful Cuba.

As I’ve written previously for The Post, Trump leaned connected Rubio arsenic what The New York Times called a “virtual caput of authorities for Latin America,” with argumentation being summed up arsenic MMRH: “Make Marco Rubio Happy.”

There’s a crushed Rubio has earned Trump’s spot with the portion of the satellite that should beryllium astir important for American strategical aims. He speaks the language, and helium understands the issues successful play — specifically, the historical conflict pitting state and capitalism against socialism and despotism. 

There are opportunities for dynamic caller alliances that were near unexplored by the feckless Biden-Blinken overseas policy. Leaders similar El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei (who volition successful information conscionable with Trump this week) yearn for a beardown and responsive overseas argumentation that privileges liberty implicit puppet totalitarianism. 

Like nary 1 other Trump could prime for the job, Rubio is champion equipped to facilitate these relationships and stave disconnected our rivals connected our doorsteps. 

Whoever Trump picks arsenic caput of authorities needs to beryllium capable to commencement astatine apical velocity connected Day One. There’s nary country for learning curves oregon missteps. To that end, the prime needs to beryllium a proven quantity erstwhile it comes to espousing a Trumpian overseas argumentation imaginativeness and recognize however overmuch harm has been done during the Biden interregnum. And helium needs to cognize however to hole it immediately.

Like nary 1 other nether consideration, the legislator from Florida is the champion bet.