US Senate votes to confirm Marco Rubio as Secretary of State

The vote in the US Senate took place just hours after Trump took the oath of office as the new president.

Rubio's nomination for Secretary of State was supported by all senators from both the Republican and Democratic parties (99 "yes" votes), with no one voting against the appointment.

Rubio had previously served as a Republican senator from Florida since 2011. His nomination by Donald Trump for Secretary of State garnered strong support from several Democrats in the Senate, who called their colleague highly qualified for the role.

Rubio had previously criticized Trump's policies, but in recent years, this senator has become one of his allies.

Rubio made a statement after his confirmation by the Senate as Secretary of State

After the Senate vote on his nomination, Rubio said it was a great honor to be unanimously approved by his colleagues.

"I hope it’s because they know me, and my sense is most of them voted for me because they thought I’d do a good job, and maybe a few because they wanted to get rid of me. But all kidding aside, it’s a great honor, and obviously I’ll miss being here. I’ll miss the relationships, but it’s an important job at an important time, and I’m honored by it," he said as he exited the Senate.

When asked about his priorities as Secretary of State, Rubio said he would take the oath tomorrow morning.

Earlier on Monday, he told reporters he would resign from his Senate seat in the evening.

It was previously reported that on Inauguration Day, January 20, the US Senate would vote on the appointments not only for the Secretary of State but also for the new head of the Pentagon, with Pete Hegset to take the position.

Also, recently, we wrote about who could become key figures in the Trump administration.