Many Senate Democrats are relieved that Sen. Marco Rubio — a third-term Florida Republican who has often focused on foreign policy and national security — might be Donald Trump’s next secretary of state.
But — please — just don’t tell Trump.
“I don’t want to get him in trouble,” Hawaii Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz told NOTUS when asked about reports that Rubio may be nominated.
“He’s a serious guy,” Schatz added when pressed. “I’m not going to get into emotions. I’ll just say he’s a serious guy.”
Democratic senators who have worked with Rubio broadly agree: He and his staff are levelheaded and good at collaborating on serious issues, and he’s carved out an effective lane as a hawkish Republican who also prioritizes human rights. They personally like Rubio, though they often disagree with his domestic policy stances (and his support for Trump). And they even admit they can see themselves voting to confirm him as the nation’s top diplomat, especially when compared with the other possible picks, some of whom have less foreign policy experience or hold more isolationist views.
But until the pick is official, Democrats don’t want to shout their praises too loudly.
On Tuesday night, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona tried to avoid answering questions about it at all.
“I haven’t seen anything official on that,” he told NOTUS.
Is Kelly worried he could scare Trump off from choosing Rubio if he says anything nice?
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha,” he responded, without answering. “Ha.”
When asked about his personal interactions with Rubio, Kelly was willing to offer more of his thoughts. He said Rubio is “very effective” as the top Republican on the intelligence panel — where Kelly also sits — and he thinks he’s qualified to be secretary of state.
Rubio’s “got a pretty good understanding of the threats we face,” Kelly said. But he wants to hear him answer questions in a confirmation hearing before supporting him. And, of course, he has to actually be nominated first.
A spokesperson for Rubio did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee alongside Rubio, was even sparser with her comments.
“I’m going to wait until the nomination happens,” she told NOTUS.
Does she think Rubio is qualified?
“I do,” she said.
Does she like him personally?
“I do,” she repeated simply, before moving on.
A couple of Democratic senators didn’t seem to get the memo, however. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has already said he’d vote for Rubio, calling him a “strong choice.”
And when asked by NOTUS, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey could hardly contain his enthusiasm about his colleague.
“First of all, Marco Rubio is my friend,” Booker said. “We’ve developed, over my ten years here, a really good friendship. He is principled.”
“I’m just happy for him and his family,” he added. “We’re going to have hearings and I’m going to get a chance to talk to him. He has an understanding of foreign policy’s nuances and complexities. It’s going to be, I think, a really good discussion.”
“Marco is my friend,” Booker repeated. “I really value my friendship with Marco over the years.”
“Right now is a time to be happy for his family,” he told NOTUS. And “he has the best high-school-football-playing son in the Senate.”
Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, also seemed happy about it, although he will have retired before the new Congress begins and won’t cast a vote on the nomination.
“I’m just always proud to see a senator that’s been involved in foreign policy considered for that position,” he said Tuesday night. “I know Marco Rubio well, and he’s definitely knowledgeable about foreign policy.”
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, too, said Rubio is “a very dedicated member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and that’s a good thing.”
Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon also said he personally likes Rubio. “I work well with him,” he told NOTUS.
Senators often have an easier time being confirmed to Cabinet roles compared to other nominees. The chamber has a clubby atmosphere, and members give each other deference even across partisan divides.
Whether those relationships will help this time — Rubio is facing criticism from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and isolationist Republicans like former presidential candidate Ron Paul — is less clear.
“Rubio, he’s one of those that’s not on our favorite list,” Paul said this week.
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Haley Byrd Wilt is a reporter at NOTUS.