That’s what struck me while reading Steve Benen’s summation of our top diplomat, Secretary Rubio, and his role, or lack thereof, in this Administration:
The lack of message discipline is an obvious problem, but just as notable is the apparent fact that the secretary of state, roughly two months into his beleaguered tenure, is struggling to remain on the same page as Team Trump.
I’m reminded anew of a recent Vanity Fair report, which noted, “Rubio is privately frustrated that Trump has effectively sidelined him. According to four prominent Republicans close to the White House, Rubio … has told people he is upset by his lack of foreign policy influence despite being, on paper at least, the administration’s top diplomat.”
The article from Gabriel Sherman added that Rubio “is often the last to know when foreign policy decisions are made in the White House.” …
It dovetails with a recent Politico report that noted members of Congress who believe Rubio “does not have the president’s ear.”
If you cast your mind back to the 2015 campaign, the tension between Trump and then-Senator Rubio (R-FL) was quite palpable, and their verbal exchanges were more the sort of thing that belonged in a wrestling ring than political debates.
I would not be surprised if President Trump, well known for his lack of political skills when it comes to running an Administration, decided to remove from Rubio the honor of being a Senator by luring him into a position where Trump can fire him at any time, and then letting him twist in the wind.
I don’t know if Rubio recognizes this possibility. Whatever you thought of him as a Senator, and he had, or has, a lot of political flaws, he is still an old-fashioned politician. Trump is not.
If Rubio should be fired, or resigns, in the near future, don’t be surprised.
