Rubio Weighs Leaving Trump Administration After Midterm Wipeout
Bloomberg reports Marco Rubio is weighing whether to leave the Trump administration after the Republican midterm wipeout. He has discussed stepping down and been asked to stay; the State Department denies it.
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People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Rubio and his advisers are reviewing his options.
The talks follow a Democratic takeover of Congress.
He has spoken to White House officials about stepping down, some of the people said.
He has also been asked to stay.
The State Department denied that he was thinking about resigning.
No Decision, No Timetable
Rubio has not decided whether to quit as top U.S. diplomat and national security adviser.
There is no timetable on a possible departure, Bloomberg reported.
The sources asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations.
Rubio made no public statement on the matter on Nov. 5.
Official Pushback
The Independent separately put Rubio on “resignation watch,” citing anonymous sources.
Dylan Johnson, the State Department’s assistant secretary for global public affairs, replied on X.
“This is completely baseless fake news from made-up anonymous ‘sources,’” he wrote.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle accused The Independent of “pushing baseless, false conspiracy theories… about President Trump and his administration.”
The 2028 Calculation
The Independent said Rubio could quit to prepare a 2028 Republican nomination bid against Vice President JD Vance.
It said he is among up to four or five Cabinet members thought to be considering leaving after Nov. 3.
A Rubio ally told the outlet it “makes complete sense” for him to leave.
The ally said he is “definitely ahead of Vance” as a potential nominee.
But he “cannot run while he is still secretary of state,” the ally said.
Being tied to the administration would harm his prospects, the ally said.
He would need to “distance himself from the Iran war and pin that one on Trump.”
A U.K. government source said: “It seems unlikely that he will stick around.”
A Republican source told The Independent: “Rubio will be gone after the midterms.”
Other Independent sources said he had shown no clear sign of wanting to leave.
Some suggested he might stay to project stability.
A Rare Dual Mandate
Rubio has held both posts since May 2025, after Michael Waltz moved to U.N. ambassador.
Trump made the national security adviser role permanent in September 2026.
He is the second person in U.S. history to hold both at once, after Henry Kissinger.
In a September 2026 Colombia interview with RCN, reported by USA Today, Rubio said he had no plans then.
“I’m not a candidate for anything right now,” he said.
“I’m 100% focused on my job, and I have to be because I have two jobs.”
He has also indicated he would step aside if Vance runs.
Fallout From November 3
Democrats won both the House and the Senate in the Nov. 3 midterms.
Rough calls as of Nov. 5 put the Senate around 54–44 Democratic.
The House is headed for a large Democratic majority, with net gains roughly 25–40 seats.
Post-mortems cited cost of living, energy and gas prices linked to the Iran conflict, and dissatisfaction with the administration.
Vance has publicly blamed the Iran war for the losses.
The results have also fueled debate over whether Trump may be more inclined to hit Iran.
No resignation has been announced.
Kamer Kurunç
Kamer Kurunç is the Team Leader of Clash Report and has led the outlet for four years. He oversees its breaking world news coverage, from the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war to defense and global politics. His focus is fast, verified, source-based reporting. Follow him on X at @kamerknc.
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