Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Tucker Carlson during a Monday interview that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has significantly shifted his foreign policy stance.
Rubio had developed a reputation for being a foreign policy hawk, but as he grew closer to President Donald Trump during the 2024 election cycle, his views evolved to become more aligned with Trump’s America First foreign policy agenda. Kennedy, on “The Tucker Carlson Show,” said he previously disapproved of Rubio because of his hawkishness, but he now believes the secretary of state has similar views to his own, including on Ukraine.
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“Marco Rubio is the funniest guy in the cabinet. He says things that make people belly laugh at every cabinet meeting,” Kennedy said. “I never was very — let’s say — approving of Marco, because he was kind of a neocon war hawk. But now he’s had this incredible transformation.”
“I think he’s very aligned with me on most issues, on Ukraine, you know, and just the fact that we should not be the policeman of the world anymore, that we’ve got to, you know, we’ve got to withdraw from that,” he continued.
On Jan. 20, Rubio became Trump’s first Senate-confirmed cabinet nominee during Trump’s second term. Rubio previously advocated for a globally involved U.S. that protects “freedom fighters” and democracies, according to a speech he gave in 2011.
However, he voted against a foreign aid package in 2024 that consisted of Ukraine funding — while maintaining his hawkish stance on China and Latin America. Rubio has also supported a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, arguing both sides must make concessions for the conflict to end.
Moreover, Rubio underscored the need for a strong approach to combat China’s economy and military during his Jan. 15 confirmation hearing.
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