Marco Rubio confirmed as Trumps secretary of state by Senate

Confirmations don’t come easier than this.The Senate approved the nomination of Sen.Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to be secretary of state 99-0 Monday, hours after President Trump took the oath of office in the Capitol Rotunda.Rubio, 53, is the first Latino to serve as America’s top diplomat and brings extensive foreign policy experience to the job, having served on both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.The president and secretary of state are former political rivals, both men having sought the 2016 Republican nomination.

During that campaign, Trump branded Rubio “Little Marco,” while the Floridian made a suggestive dig about the purported size of his rival’s hands. However, the two men have mended fences, with Rubio emerging as the most credible spokesman for Trump’s foreign policy vision — including calling last week during his confirmation hearing for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.The secretary of state position is the third highest-ranking position in the executive branch after the president and vice president.The role is also fourth in the line of succession to serve as president, after the speaker of the House.Rubio will be succeeded in the Senate by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, whose appointment was announced last week by Republican Gov.

Ron DeSantis. This is a developing story.Please check back for more updates....