Marco Rubio, the newly sworn-in U.S. Secretary of State, emphasized the Trump administration’s vision for U.S. foreign policy during his inaugural address on Tuesday. Rubio underscored the administration’s commitment to advancing America’s strength, safety, and prosperity on the global stage.
“Anything that makes us stronger, safer, or more prosperous will be our mission, our job across the world,” Rubio stated at his welcome ceremony after taking the oath of office as the nation’s 72nd Secretary of State. He expressed gratitude to President Trump for his nomination, calling it “an extraordinary honor and a privilege to serve in this role.”
Rubio praised the U.S. diplomatic corps, describing it as “the greatest, the most effective, the most talented, and the most experienced diplomatic corps in the history of the world.”
Outlining his priorities for U.S. foreign policy, Rubio emphasized a clear mission: advancing national interests as defined by the Trump administration. “Our foreign policy has a very clear mission—the advancement of our national interest, which President Trump has clearly defined as anything that makes us stronger, safer, or more prosperous,” Rubio said.
He also highlighted the importance of collaboration with other nations where interests align. “I expect every nation on Earth to advance its national interests. And in those instances where our national interests align with theirs, we look forward to working with them,” he noted.
Rubio reaffirmed President Trump’s commitment to global peace, stating that promoting peace and avoiding conflict would be key priorities for U.S. foreign policy. “His overriding goal for global policy is the promotion of peace and avoiding conflict,” Rubio said. He added that the State Department would play a critical role in achieving this goal. “Promoting peace around the world is in our national interest because, without peace, it is hard to be a strong and prosperous nation.”
While recognizing that conflicts are inevitable, Rubio stressed that the U.S. would prioritize conflict prevention but not at the expense of national security. “We will seek to prevent conflicts, but never at the expense of our national security and interests,” he stated.
Rubio’s first day in office includes significant diplomatic engagements. According to the U.S. Department of State, he will meet with foreign ministers from the Indo-Pacific QUAD nations at 1 PM (local time). This will be followed by a bilateral meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at 3:45 PM.
Additionally, Rubio is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi later in the day at the Department of State, the statement added.
Rubio’s remarks and schedule underscore the administration’s focus on advancing American interests while fostering partnerships to promote peace and stability globally.