US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to resign following the Republicans' disastrous loss in the midterm elections in an effort to salvage his chances of running for president in 2028, according to reports.
According to separate reports by The Independent and Bloomberg, published on Thursday, Rubio, who also serves as White House national security advisor, is on resignation watch as he is expected to enter the 2028 presidential race.
Following the Republicans’ sweeping defeat in the November 3 midterm elections, in which Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress, Rubio is expected to distance himself from the Trump administration to improve his prospects in the next presidential election.
The GOP defeat came amid record-low approval ratings for US President Donald Trump as Americans are dealing with inflation and a cost-of-living crisis mainly caused by Trump's war of choice against Iran.
US Vice President JD Vance also addressed the issue, acknowledging that the loss was a direct result of the war on Iran. "The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone … The reason we lost is the war [on Iran]. The president himself said so last night," he said.
Insiders told The Independent that Rubio's reported plans to resign are not a direct response to the recent election results, as US and senior UK government figures previously told the newspaper that he could leave his position in Trump's administration.
"Rubio is the leading candidate at the moment to be the [Republican] nominee. He's definitely ahead of Vance. But he cannot run while he is still secretary of state, and being tied to the administration will only harm his prospects anyway," an insider told The Independent.
A Washington insider told the newspaper that Rubio needs to pin the war on Iran, on Trump, as the illegal war has become deeply unpopular among Americans.
Rubio is one of five members of Trump's current cabinet who are expected to "run for the hills" and resign following the Republicans' electoral losses, the UK newspaper reported.
One Republican source told The Independent that high gas prices had made Trump deeply unpopular and left Americans angry, adding that Rubio would leave as soon as the election results were announced.
"The country has completely turned against Trump. People cannot even say where Iran is on a map and do not get this war," the source told the newspaper.
The unnamed source also said that Democrats would launch impeachment proceedings once they took control of Congress, adding that "nobody wants to stick around for that."
The report also mentions Rubio's involvement in some of Trump's most controversial policies in Latin America. These include strikes on small boats in the Caribbean, allegedly carrying drugs, which have been considered as extrajudicial killings, as well as toppling the Venezuelan government, the seizure of its oil, and an energy blockade against Cuba that is affecting its civilians.
One longtime political operative with extensive experience in Rubio's home state told The Independent that the secretary's resignation would not come as a surprise. However, the source suggested Rubio might reconsider leaving if remaining in office allowed him to oversee the fall of Cuba's government.
Rubio has repeatedly sought to play down speculation about his political future. In September, he told reporters that he had "no plans at this time" to run for president, saying he was focused on his responsibilities in the current administration. He has also indicated that he would step aside if his main rival, Vance, decided to run.
Rubio also rejected reports that he was planning to resign to run for president on Thursday, telling The New York Times in an interview that working for Trump until the end of his term had always been his plan.
"I love the work I'm doing," he said, adding, "And plus, I always laugh when they say he's going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'"
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