As his Cabinet nominations have shown, President-elect Donald Trump plans a revolutionary assault on the sinister and unconstitutional deep state.
Thus, when Trump supporters react to one particular nomination with tepid enthusiasm or even outright disappointment — as many did when a report surfaced earlier this week that Trump would pick Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as secretary of state — it makes sense not only to consider the totality of Trump’s appointments but also the particular admirable qualities Rubio will bring to the job.
For instance, shortly after that report surfaced, a 36-second clip of Rubio demonstrating those qualities while being accosted by a pro-Palestinian woman began circulating on the social media platform X.
“Senator Rubio, will you call for a ceasefire in Gaza?” the woman asked.
“No, I will not. On the contrary,” the senator replied.
At that point, a coward would have slunk off, too timid to say what he really thought.
But Rubio embraced the challenge and turned directly to the camera.
“Are you filming this? I want you guys to get this. I want them to destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on. These people are vicious animals who did horrifying crimes. And I hope you guys post that,” he said.
Then, when the woman asked about civilians suffering in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Rubio did not blink.
“I blame Hamas,” he replied. “Hamas should stop hiding behind civilians, putting civilians in the way. Hamas knew that this was gonna lead to this, so Hamas has to stop building their military installations underneath hospitals — “
Finally, the woman interrupted and said, in an interrogatory tone, that Rubio must not care about dying children.
“Absolutely I do. I care. I think it’s horrifying. I think it’s terrible, and I think Hamas is 100 percent to blame. That’s what I think,” he replied.
“Make sure you post that please,” the senator added after again turning to the camera.
The most important quality of any pick to serve in Trumps’ cabinet is immunity to weaponized empathy and emotional manipulation.👇pic.twitter.com/rgf7r4HxGS
— Wokal Distance (@wokal_distance) November 12, 2024
Tuesday on X, after the initial report that Trump likely had settled on Rubio, many pro-liberty accounts reacted with horror. Above all, they blasted Rubio as a Neocon who would sabotage Trump’s second term the way Neocons sabotaged his first.
Marco Rubio is a NEOCON. The American people voted a RESOUNDING NO against the warmongers in DC.
If Trump puts him in his cabinet he is showing us he learned zero lessons from his first term.
NO MARCO RUBIO. NO NEOCONS. pic.twitter.com/kBPo77NIiK
— Declaration of Memes (@LibertyCappy) November 12, 2024
Marco Rubio? … Really, Mr. President? pic.twitter.com/9o1pXGE3FF
— Ron Paul (@RonPaul) November 12, 2024
If Trump officially gives Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz cabinet positions, he has rejected the anti-empire, anti-neocon message of the American electorate.
A pure noninterventionist cabinet was unrealistic, but many expected those with views like Vivek, Tulsi, RFK Jr., and Gaetz. pic.twitter.com/hvSmhmhpH2
— Dave Benner, Nemesis of Neocons (@dbenner83) November 12, 2024
Trump, however, knows exactly what he wants and what he is doing.
For instance, when the president-elect finally made Rubio’s nomination official on Wednesday, he sandwiched that announcement between two breathtaking anti-establishment appointments.
As a result, the buzz surrounding Trump’s nomination of former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence and, especially, his earth-shattering selection of Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida as attorney general has filled his supporters with such euphoria that nearly everyone seems to have forgotten their original objections to Rubio.
Moreover, those who fear a hawkish foreign policy should remember that Trump has shown an eagerness to make peace deals. In fact, even in the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, the president-elect has engaged with leaders on both sides.
Finally, two days of reflection should remind everyone of why Trump likely chose Rubio in the first place.
In short, the president-elect probably regards Rubio as a fighter who has the right principles.
