White House denies Rubio and Hegseth are leaving after Republican midterm losses
The US State Department and Rubio himself have also rejected reports of an exit, while Trump says he has "every intention" of keeping Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
At a glance
- The White House and US State Department dismissed reports that Marco Rubio could leave his post as "fake news".
- Rubio told The New York Times that working for Trump until the end of his term has "always been my plan".
- Trump said he had "every intention" of keeping Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who faces a more uncertain future.
The White House and the US State Department have dismissed as "fake news" reports that Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth could leave their jobs, following Republican losses in this week's US midterm elections.
Rubio has denied reports that he was considering leaving his post ahead of a 2028 presidential run. Working for Trump until the end of his term has "always been my plan", Rubio told The New York Times in an interview.
"I love the work I'm doing," he said. "And plus I always laugh when they say he's going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'"
Both the White House and the State Department shut down suggestions that Rubio might depart after the midterms, with each calling the reports "fake news".
Hegseth faces a less certain future
Hegseth, the defence secretary, faces a more uncertain political future than Rubio. Trump and Vice-President JD Vance have both blamed the Iran war for Republican losses that allowed Democrats to take full control of the US House of Representatives and the Senate.
In a telephone interview with ABC News, Trump said he had received "calls about" Hegseth, but added that he had "every intention" of keeping him.
Later on Thursday, he told reporters at the White House that "Pete Hegseth has done a fantastic job". He went on to list what he sees as some of the defence secretary's achievements, including the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January and the Iran war, now into its ninth month.
Source: BBC World.
Questions and answers
- Is Marco Rubio leaving his job?
- No, according to the White House and the State Department, which both called such reports "fake news". Rubio told The New York Times that working for Trump until the end of his term has "always been my plan".
- Is Pete Hegseth being replaced as defence secretary?
- Trump said he had "every intention" of keeping Hegseth after receiving "calls about" him, and later told reporters at the White House that Hegseth "has done a fantastic job".
- Why did Republicans lose the midterm elections?
- Trump and Vice-President JD Vance both blamed the Iran war for Republican losses that allowed Democrats to take full control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
