By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio could leave President Donald Trump’s administration to prepare for a possible 2028 Republican presidential campaign, according to a report published Thursday, Nov. 5, citing Republican insiders and senior British government officials. The State Department dismissed the report as fabricated.
Rubio, who also serves as White House national security adviser, is reportedly among several senior administration officials considering their political futures after Democrats captured control of the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
According to The Independent’s investigation, sources in Washington and London had anticipated Rubio’s possible departure even before the election, with Republican losses strengthening their expectations.
One Republican source predicted that Rubio would leave after the midterms, suggesting other administration officials could also depart as potential presidential candidates seek to establish political identities independent of Trump.
“Rubio will be gone after the midterms. There will be about four or five of them running for the hills,” the unnamed source told the publication.
The source attributed Republican losses partly to public opposition to the administration’s war with Iran and rising gasoline prices.
“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 said.
“The cost of gas has really p***** people off.”
The source also suggested that Democratic control of Congress could trigger investigations and impeachment proceedings, potentially encouraging senior officials to leave the administration.
“Once the Democrats control the House and Senate, we are just going to see attempts at impeachment, and nobody wants to stick around for that.”
A person described as a Rubio ally argued that remaining in the administration could complicate the secretary’s potential campaign.
“It makes complete sense for him to step down and leave the administration,” the source said.
“But he cannot run while he is still secretary of state, and being tied to the administration will only harm his prospects anyway.”
The ally also asserted that Rubio was better positioned than Vice President JD Vance to pursue the Republican nomination, although no formal presidential campaign has been announced by either official.
A senior British government source similarly suggested Rubio could leave his position to pursue the White House.
“We are looking to see what he will do after the midterms. It seems unlikely that he will stick around. He would make a strong presidential candidate and we expect him to run.”
The speculation follows Republican defeats that have intensified discussion about the party’s leadership and political direction ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
Vance, widely discussed as a possible successor to Trump, has publicly blamed the war with Iran for the election losses.
“The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone … The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance said following Tuesday’s results.
“Any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there.”
Rubio has not publicly criticized the administration’s handling of the conflict, although sources cited by The Independent suggested he would need to establish some distance from the war if he pursued the Republican nomination.
One Washington insider said Rubio should “distance himself from the Iran war and pin that one on Trump.”
The secretary’s foreign policy responsibilities have placed him close to several controversial administration decisions, including military operations involving Iran, Venezuela and the Caribbean.
Rubio has simultaneously held the nation’s two most prominent foreign policy advisory positions, serving as secretary of state and acting national security adviser since May 2025.
Earlier in Trump’s second term, he also temporarily assumed responsibilities at the U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Archives.
Despite those assignments, Trump has relied extensively on special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for negotiations involving the Middle East and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Independent reported that some British officials believe Rubio has played a comparatively limited role in several of those diplomatic initiatives.
However, administration officials strongly rejected the suggestion that Rubio is preparing to resign.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle accused the publication of “pushing baseless, false conspiracy theories… about President Trump and his administration.”
“The president has assembled a united team focused on his America First agenda, and they will continue winning for the American people no matter how much it upsets the glue-sniffing hacks at The Independent,” Ingle said.
The State Department issued a separate denial through Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson.
“This is completely baseless fake news from made-up anonymous ‘sources,’” Johnson wrote Thursday in response to the report.
He also characterized the allegations as a “completely fabricated hoax” and said the department expected the claims to be disproven.
The denials underscore that the reported resignation remains speculative, with no announcement from Rubio or the administration establishing that he intends to leave office.
Rubio himself previously downplayed the possibility of a presidential campaign.
During a September visit to Colombia, he told reporters that he had no immediate plans to enter the 2028 contest.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I have no plans at this time,” Rubio said, according to Just the News.
“I’m not a candidate for anything right now. And I’m 100% focused on my job, and I have to be because I have two jobs.”
Rubio has also indicated that he would defer to Vance if the vice president pursued the Republican nomination.
The two men have emerged as prominent figures in discussions about the party’s future, although the 2028 Republican field remains unsettled.
Rubio previously sought the presidency in 2016, competing against Trump during a contentious Republican primary campaign.
The former Florida senator suspended his candidacy after losing his home state’s primary and subsequently developed a closer political relationship with Trump.
He served in the Senate from 2011 until joining the administration in January 2025.
Rubio’s experience in national security and international diplomacy could become a central feature of any future presidential campaign, although his role in the administration would also invite scrutiny of policies implemented during Trump’s second term.
The Independent reported that at least one source close to the White House had observed no indication that Rubio wanted to resign, while another suggested he might remain in office to provide stability after the election.
A longtime Florida political operative also suggested Rubio could delay any departure if he believed he might help oversee significant political changes in Cuba.
Those competing assessments highlight the uncertainty surrounding his plans.
The midterm elections have nevertheless accelerated political discussions about who will lead the Republican Party after Trump’s presidency.
With Democrats preparing to control both chambers of Congress in January 2027, the administration faces increased oversight and legislative opposition during its final two years.
For Rubio, the decision to remain in office or pursue a political campaign would carry consequences for both the administration’s foreign policy leadership and the emerging Republican presidential field.
As of Thursday, Nov. 5, Rubio remained secretary of state and acting national security adviser, had announced no resignation and had not declared a 2028 presidential candidacy.
Original article
Comments