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One-man Cabinet: Marco Rubio went from rival to Trump’s point man, but can he handle it?

One-man Cabinet: Marco Rubio went from rival to Trump’s point man, but can he handle it?

In a surprising twist of fate, Marco Rubio has gone from bitter presidential rival to President Donald Trump’s go-to guy.  At the start of the new administration, current and former officials speculated Rubio would be one of the first Cabinet officials shown the door, as his America First credentials were called into question given his previously hawkish foreign policy views.  Instead, Rubio has only continued to find favor with the president – so much so that he now holds an unprecedented four different roles within the administration. “When I have a problem, I call up Marco. He gets it solved,” Trump quipped earlier this month.  TRUMP TO TAP NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN 6 MONTHS; CALLS WALTZ MOVE ‘UPGRADE’ First, Rubio glided into the secretary of state role with a 99-0 Senate confirmation. Then, Trump and his team dismantled USAID and merged it under Rubio’s State Department leadership, naming him acting director. The secretary was subsequently tapped to lead the National Archives in an acting capacity, and as of last week, he’s also replaced Mike Waltz as acting national security advisor. “This is an expression of trust,” said Andrew Tabler, a former senior official at State and the National Security Council (NSC). “It’s a sign that the president likes Secretary Rubio, despite the odds.”  Trump has suggested the interim arrangement could last up to six months, and while that may be an expression of the president’s confidence in Rubio, some are questioning whether one person can effectively juggle four high-profile roles. “Marco Rubio is very talented but no one can do that,” said Joel Rubin, former senior State Department official.  Henry Kissinger was the last person to serve as both secretary of state and national security advisor, holding both roles for over two years from 1975 to 1977. But that was half a century ago, and threats facing the nation have only multiplied.  MIKE WALTZ, OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFERS OUT IN LATEST TRUMP PURGE FOLLOWING SIGNAL CHAT LEAK Rubin, who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, called the workload “not fair to the individual, not fair to the taxpayer, and not fair to President Trump, who needs strong, independent advice from a national security advisor.” “The president has assembled an incredibly talented team that is fully committed to putting America and Americans first,” a senior State Department official said in response to an inquiry on Rubio’s many duties. “Secretary Rubio looks forward to serving as his interim national security advisor while ensuring the mission-critical work at the State Department continues uninterrupted.” The national security advisor is traditionally the president’s closest aide on matters of war, peace and global crisis – physically located near the Oval Office and ready to brief the president at any moment. That proximity is hard to maintain when the same person is flying overseas for diplomatic missions. “If he has to fly off to Pakistan to stop a nuclear war, then the president’s national security advisor, who usually is sitting right next to him, is not there.” The reshuffling follows a broader shake-up inside the National Security Council, which lost Waltz, deputy advisor Alex Wong, and a number of staffers in early April. That thinning of personnel, several sources said, has only compounded the stakes. “There are major national security issues in three different theaters. Europe, Middle East and Asia. One’s a hot war, one is a half-hot war, and it’s really getting tense in Asia,” said one former NSC official. “The president’s national security team needs to be filled out, and many people at State and DOD still need to be confirmed.” TRUMP TO TAP NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN 6 MONTHS; CALLS WALTZ MOVE ‘UPGRADE’ National security advisor “is one of the president’s closest relationships,” said Michael Allen, former special assistant to the president and senior director at NSC. “The national security advisor needs to be near the president all the time. Or at least able to brief the president all the time. So this is more duties for Rubio and they’re already short-handed.” Still, Allen said the president’s personal comfort with his top national security aide may outweigh structural concerns – for now. “If the president feels like he needs Rubio there, then this is a good solution,” Allen said. “At least for the short to medium term.” Yet others say Rubio’s promotion might be more symbolic than operational, particularly in a White House where influence doesn’t always match job titles. “I think it’s not, ‘Can Marco Rubio do four jobs?’ It’s, ‘Is he allowed to do his one job – which is Secretary of State?’” said Mark Feierstein, a former senior official at USAID. “Foreign counterparts may see him as pleasant in meetings, but they don’t necessarily believe he can deliver.” Feierstein pointed to the dismantling of USAID, the rise of informal advisors like Stephen Miller, and the proliferation of special envoys like Steve Witkoff who bypass Rubio entirely. “You’ve got loads of people who report directly to Trump or others. So now it’s just chaos,” he said. Even Rubio’s ideological positioning raises questions. A staunch foreign policy hawk during his time in the Senate, Rubio has in recent months presided over a foreign policy apparatus that includes outreach to Russia and dramatic State Department budget cuts – moves he may once have opposed. “He’s decided to accommodate,” Feierstein said. But Rubio’s ability to meet voters where they are – and serve as the president’s happy warrior – may be the key to his longevity. Sparring with voices like Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance on foreign policy would only cause further headaches for the president.  Tabler, for his part, remained optimistic. “Rubio is energetic, he knows the issues. He’s been working on foreign policy for years,” he said. “It’s a positive sign. But how long one person can do that job – and under what circumstances – is up to him.”

Travelers weigh in on REAL ID rollout after 2005 law finally takes effect: ‘I think it’s important’

Travelers weigh in on REAL ID rollout after 2005 law finally takes effect: ‘I think it’s important’

Many travelers preparing for their flights at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport told Fox News Digital that the government effectively notified Americans about the REAL ID law that took effect on May 7, with many adding that the new requirement bolsters safety.  “I think they did a great job of letting people know… and I think it’s important, because we need to make sure that everyone’s got correct identification,” said one man who spoke to Fox News Digital from the terminal.  “I think that the government did a really good job of informing the public that it’s needed. I see it everywhere,” another man said.  The REAL ID laws took effect on May 7, though the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced ahead of Wednesday that Americans who lack the new ID will still be able to travel but would face additional screening. REAL ID is a federally-compliant driver’s license or other identification that meets higher standards than state-issued driver’s licenses. REAL ID DEADLINE COMES AND GOES – AIRPORTS REPORT BUSINESS AS USUAL Only legal U.S. citizens or residents can obtain a REAL ID. Valid U.S. passports can also still be used instead of a REAL ID for domestic air travel, the DHS explains on its website.  “I think the government did a great job preparing for folks, and especially in the state of Georgia. They’ve had this in process for a long time,” said another traveler. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to heighten security requirements for driver’s licenses in response to the attacks on 9/11. Though some states began complying with the law more than a decade ago, enforcement in all states had been repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic, DMV backlogs, as well as some states, such as South Carolina, initially refusing to comply.  DO WE EVEN NEED THIS? LAWMAKERS GET REAL ABOUT REAL ID MANDATE STARTING TODAY “We’ve been doing it since, gosh … since 2013. Trying to get everybody aboard, and this is the last year for them to get on board,” one woman said. “I think it’s important to protect our airports one another and our federal buildings with higher security,” another woman said.  AIR TRAVELERS WITHOUT REAL ID TO FACE EXTRA SCREENING BUT WILL BE ALLOWED TO FLY FOR NOW, DHS SAYS By contrast, another traveler said the roll-out could have been smoother.  “They could have rolled this out a little smoothly there and allowed people to get more prepared, even though, you know, to say it’s been in the works for a couple of years, but I travel quite often, and I didn’t know,” she said. 

House votes to make Trump Gulf of America name change permanent

House votes to make Trump Gulf of America name change permanent

The House of Representatives voted 211-206 to make President Donald Trump‘s name change for the Gulf of America permanent on Friday morning.  No Democrats voted for the bill, as was expected. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., was the only Republican to vote against the bill.  The legislation was led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a vocal ally of Trump’s in Congress. “This is such an important thing to do for the American people. The American people deserve pride in their country, and they deserve pride in the waters that we own, that we protect with our military and our Coast Guard and all of the businesses that prosper along these waters,” Greene said during debate on the bill. SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL “But Democrats today are outraged. They’re outraged because they love the cartels more than any other people in the world, more than the American people.” Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, panned the legislation as a waste of time. “Republicans think this juvenile legislation is the best use of this House’s time. This is the only work we’re doing today, folks,” Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in his rebuttal to Greene. “What a sick joke this is. Republicans worry about 400-year-old words on a map. I worry about families and every community in America that’s struggling to get by.” MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE The vast majority of Republicans supported the bill, with several arguing the name change would help boost tourism and a sense of patriotism in the region. However, earlier this week, Fox News Digital was told that several GOP lawmakers privately expressed frustration at what they saw as a largely symbolic bill taking up their time instead of more meaningful legislation to move Trump’s agenda along. “I’ve heard criticisms from all corners of the conference. Conservatives to pragmatic ones,” Bacon told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “It seems sophomoric. The United States is bigger and better than this.” One conservative GOP lawmaker vented to Fox News Digital, “125 other [executive orders], this is the one we pick.” Greene hit back at the detractors, however, in response to Fox News Digital’s report. “Some of my Republican colleagues don’t want to vote for my Gulf of America Act, which is one of President Trump’s favorite executive orders. They say they would rather vote on ‘more serious EOs.’ Boys are you ready to vote to criminalize sex changes on kids?? Because I have that bill on that EO too,” she wrote on X. The legislation will now be sent to the Senate, where it must reach a 60-vote threshold – with Democratic support – before it can hit the president’s desk.

Retired judges criticize Trump admin over arrest of Milwaukee County judge: ‘Embarrassing spectacle’

Retired judges criticize Trump admin over arrest of Milwaukee County judge: ‘Embarrassing spectacle’

A coalition of more than 150 former judges joined together in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing the Trump administration of perpetrating “attacks” against the judiciary. “We are former state and federal judges who join together to condemn the Trump Administration’s attacks on the judiciary, including its recent arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan in her courthouse,” the letter begins. Dugan allegedly escorted a wanted illegal immigrant “out of the courtroom through the ‘jury door,’ which leads to a nonpublic area of the courthouse,” according to an affidavit, which notes that authorities at the courthouse to arrest the wanted individual were still ultimately able to apprehend him. MILWAUKEE JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN ‘TEMPORARILY RELIEVED OF HER OFFICIAL DUTIES’ BY WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT “This latest action is yet another attempt to intimidate and threaten the judiciary after a series of rulings by judges appointed by presidents of both parties holding the Trump Administration accountable for its countless violations of the Constitution and laws of the United States,” the former judges declared in their letter. They asserted that the Justice Department “at your direction decided to create an embarrassing spectacle that included the FBI’s arrest and handcuffing of Judge Dugan and the Director of the FBI, Kash Patel, posting a photo of the perp walk on X.” The letter links to an April X post that features a photo and declares, “No one is above the law.” FBI ARRESTS WISCONSIN JUDGE, ALLEGING SHE OBSTRUCTED ARREST OF ILLEGAL ALIEN Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. President Donald Trump‘s second-term agenda has been bogged down by judicial roadblocks, and the president has been outspoken in registering his complaints with the judiciary. PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCES MULTIPLE JUDICIAL NOMINEES, ACCUSES COURT SYSTEM OF BLOCKING HIM FROM DOING HIS JOB “Our Court System is not letting me do the job I was Elected to do. Activist judges must let the Trump Administration deport murderers, and other criminals who have come into our Country illegally, WITHOUT DELAY!!!” he declared in a Wednesday Truth Social post.