Rubio's Greatest Hits, Part 1

Sarah Anderson | 4:54 PM on April 06, 2026
AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool

I haven't been shy about the fact that I've been a Marco Rubio fan from day one, even before he was in the Senate. When he ran for president in 2016, he became the only candidate I'd ever donated to, and in 2024, when Donald Trump chose him to be his secretary of State, I was new here at PJ Media, but I had the honor of breaking that news, and I was so proud.

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There's no denying that Rubio's star has risen over the last year. I read comments and hear from people all the time who seem quite surprised that he's so intelligent and competent, and I just smile because I've known that all along. With that in mind, I've been trying to put together a "greatest hits" list of Rubio's biggest moments and accomplishments from the first year (or 14 months) of Trump's second term. 

And I do mean greatest hits because creating a definitive list of everything he's done is nearly impossible. He's that good. 

Without further adieu, here they are in no particular order. Some are fun. Some are serious. I hope you enjoy them.  

1. Unanimous Senate Confirmation  

Rubio was one of Trump's first cabinet picks in November 2024, and, perhaps, one of the best ones. He was the first Latino secretary of State, and while I wouldn't normally care about that, in this case, I think it's been important for a number of reasons. Rubio's ability to speak Spanish and express genuine empathy for Hispanic U.S. citizens and our friends and neighbors in Latin America has been so important. If you look at polls, Rubio is one of the most popular politicians in many Latin American countries. I also think that he's essential for attracting more Hispanic voters to the GOP in the future.  

He was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate with a 99-0 to vote, and sworn in on January 21, 2025, ready to make history. 

2. A Trip to the Western Hemisphere    

About a week and a half after he was sworn in, Rubio made his first overseas trip as secretary of State. The fact that he went to Latin America was lost on no one and signaled some of what the Trump administration would prioritize in the year to come: immigration, security, anti-cartel/drug trafficking measures, and removing China's influence from our backyard. He visited Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. I believe that trip alone set many things in motion, including China's losses at the Panama Canal, a new partnership with El Salvador regarding deportations, and increased security cooperation with Costa Rica. 

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(On a personal note, I'll confess that this trip had a major impact on my life and career. I was still relatively new here at PJ Media, and trying to figure out where I fit in. I wanted to write more about Latin America, but I wasn't sure how well that would go over. I felt like this trip and the smart foreign policy that followed opened the door for me to do so, and I am forever grateful for that. It's amazing when your job doesn't feel like work.)

3. Clapback at Sen. Chris Van Hollen

Rubio's had a lot of viral moments over the past 14 months — I think people are finally realizing he's just as witty as he is smart — but one of the biggest was his response to Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who was, at the time, very obsessed with a guy named Kilmar Abrego Garcia — you know, the alleged gang member and human trafficker who was in the country illegally. The one who the media called "Maryland Dad."  

In May, Rubio appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to discuss the FY26 Department of State Budget Request. After a seven-minute soliloquy, Van Hollen told Rubio he regretted voting for him. Rubio's response? "Your regret voting for me confirms I’m doing a good job."   

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Rubio also responded to Van Hollen about deportations to El Salvador with this memorable line: "In the case of El Salvador, absolutely. We deported gang members, gang members, including the one you had a margarita with."  That exchange was something to watch: 

4. The Defense of Western Civilization Speech 

Remember in February when Rubio went to the Munich Security Conference and told all the Europeans, "We in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West's managed decline." I still have people tell me how much they loved that speech. It was historic — one that will likely define Rubio's career in the years to come. Here it is if you missed it:  

5. Passing the Note to President Trump 

We all remember this moment and the iconic pictures that came from it. In October, Trump was heading a roundtable when Rubio came in, passed the president a note, and whispered in his ear. He wanted to inform him that a peace deal in the Middle East was near and have him approve a social media post about it. It was symbolic of the working relationship these two great leaders of our country have and the efforts they've made to bring peace to the world.  


6. Four Jobs and a Meme   

For a while there, it seemed like Trump was going to give Rubio every job in the Cabinet. Not only was he secretary of State, but he became national security adviser, head of USAID, and even the acting national archivist. In August, Rubio joked during a Cabinet meeting that this was the most significant Labor Day of his lifetime because he had so many jobs.

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The hardest working man in the Trump administration also became the hardest working meme on the internet. Every time there is a new job to fill, social media users turn to Rubio and that famous picture of him sitting on a sofa in the Oval Office looking as if he's a bit annoyed. Here are some recent ones:  

7. Super Long End of the Year Press Conference  

One thing you can say about the Trump administration is that they never shy away from the press. Just before Christmas, Rubio did a State Department press conference himself and talked for over two hours. He spoke on everything from Venezuela to Gaza to Ukraine, made jokes about Vladimir Putin, and even took questions in Spanish. It was something to watch. 

8. Iran is the "World's Problem." 

While the left and the MSM have done their best to spread lies about the conflict in Iran, Rubio has been out there from day one defending it. He's made it clear that this was not some random thing we did because Trump was bored or something. Iran was a an imminent threat, a danger to the entire world, and we're simply taking care of it. 

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"Imagine what these people would do if they had a nuclear weapon. That is an unacceptable risk for the world," he said during the March Cabinet meeting, adding, "By the way, the president's not just doing a favor to the United States and to our people. This is for the world. He defined very clearly on the first night of this operation what the goal was." 

Honestly, he's had a lot of great media moments over the last few weeks, but my favorite is still when he told George Stephanopoulos that maybe he needed to "write it down" because the ABC host couldn't seem to understand Trump's objectives in Iran, even though Rubio had laid them out like three times in that conversation alone.  

9. Shield of the Americas "Friends" Speech 

In early March, Trump and Rubio hosted the Shield of the Americas summit — a group of leaders from 12 like-minded countries in the Western Hemisphere came to the U.S. to join a new era of partnership. Trump promised any country willing to help combat the cartels that the United States would have its back. Other cabinet members were there to talk security, energy, and economics. While it wasn't advertised as such, another big goal was to find ways to keep China out of the Americas. So far, there have been numerous successes on all fronts.  

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Rubio gave a brief speech, but the theme was powerful: "We want the world to see that when you're a friend and an ally of the United States, it is a good thing. It's reciprocated." 

I believe the productive summit was actually the secretary's idea. Our hemisphere is changing for the better, while other parts of the world decline. Chinese and Russian influence is all over it. Ignoring it for so many years was one of the dumbest things our country has ever done, and the fact that Rubio and Trump are embracing it is so important for the future of all of us.   

10.  Breaking Down College Football

I'm going to end on a fun note here, but Rubio took his sons to the College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami earlier this year, where he pulled for the University of Miami Hurricanes (that's also where he went to law school), and before the game, Clay Travis interviewed him on the field. Everyone was amazed that he's not just a foreign policy expert — he also knows football. Like really, really well. I would totally listen to a weekly sports talk radio show broadcast from the State Department.  

Okay, I know you're thinking "what about this" and "what about that?"  Well, don't worry. This got so long that I decided to break it up into two parts, so come back and look for part two in the next few days.   

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Sarah Anderson

Sarah Anderson is a Georgia-based freelance writer and journalist, specializing in foreign policy, with a passion for Latin America and the Caribbean.  

When she's not writing, you can find her chasing animals on her small hobby farm, swimming every chance she gets, traveling, gardening, reading, or yelling at a Georgia Bulldogs or Atlanta Falcons football game like any good Southerner. 

You might also catch her watching State Department briefings to unwind.  

Email Sarah at [email protected].

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Category:

COLUMNS

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DONALD TRUMP EL SALVADOR FOREIGN POLICY MARCO RUBIO USAID

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