Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making history by taking on an unprecedented dual role at the highest levels of American foreign policy. He will be the first individual since Henry Kissinger to simultaneously serve as both secretary of State and national security adviser.
While several notable figures, such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, have filled both positions at different points in their careers, none have held both posts at once—until now.
President Trump revealed on Thursday that Rubio would step in as national security adviser on a temporary basis. This announcement followed the dismissal of Mike Waltz from the position and his subsequent nomination by Trump to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The only other person to hold both titles at the same time was Kissinger, who passed away last December at the age of 100. He occupied both roles concurrently from September 1973 to November 1975 during the Nixon and Ford administrations.
Kissinger originally became national security adviser in 1969 under President Nixon and was later appointed secretary of State in 1973, remaining in that position until 1977.
Waltz’s exit from his national security post marks the most prominent reshuffling yet in Trump’s current administration.
Shortly after reports emerged about Waltz’s removal, President Trump confirmed that Waltz would instead be nominated for the U.N. ambassador role. That position has been vacant since Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination was withdrawn amid concerns about maintaining the GOP’s narrow House majority.
Rubio’s responsibilities continue to expand with this latest appointment.
Beyond his duties as secretary of State, he is also serving as the acting head of USAID and as the interim archivist overseeing the National Archives and Records Administration.
{Matzav.com}