Trump officially nominates Marco Rubio for secretary of State

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday officially announced he will nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to be secretary of State, ending a nearly two-day delay between initial reports and the official announcement.

In a statement, Trump said that Rubio is a “Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom.” Trump also called Rubio a “strong Advocate for our nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our allies.”

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the top Republican on the selective Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He ran against Trump for president in 2016, but once Trump entered office he became a key ally of the White House on Latin America policy. Rubio was a contender to be Trump’s running mate, though he ultimately lost out to Vice President-elect JD Vance.

The announcement comes as speculation swirled over the delay in announcing Rubio’s nomination to the role of America’s top diplomat. Some allies of former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and top Trump loyalist Richard Grenell insisted that no decision had been made, despite media reports that Trump planned to nominate Rubio. And Rubio faced criticism from some corners of the Republican Party for his more traditional and neoconservative views on foreign policy and national security.

However, Rubio is expected to face little resistance from his fellow Republicans in his confirmation process. Reports of Rubio’s nomination prompted expressions of praise from across the Republican Party, and even some Democrats. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.), Rubio’s Democratic counterpart on the selective Senate panel, celebrated the announcement, saying in a statement Wednesday that “while we don’t always agree, he is smart, talented, and will be a strong voice for American interests around the globe.”