Trump expected to appoint Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State - reports

US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, according to a report Monday.

Neither Rubio's team nor Trump's team have confirmed the report.

Rubio, first elected to the Senate in 2010, is known for his hardline stance on Cuba, Iran and China.

Recently, however, he has aligned more closely with Trump’s foreign policy, echoing the president-elect’s calls for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which he said has reached a “stalemate" and "needs to be brought to a conclusion."

Rubio, a staunch supporter of Israel, has consistently adopted hardline positions.

Opposing calls for Gaza ceasefire

Earlier this year, he accused President Joe Biden of appealing to “antisemites” in the Democratic Party by criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza and urged the administration to revoke visas for foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian protests, labeling them as "terrorist sympathisers."

In November last year, when confronted by a group activists in Congress, Rubio opposed calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, describing the Palestinian group as “vicious animals” and saying: “I want (Israel) to destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on.”

Rubio has also led efforts to ban TikTok, arguing that it spreads “pro-Hamas, anti-Israel propaganda” and poses an “existential threat to our nation.”

Following an Iranian missile attack on Israel in October, he encouraged a strong Israeli response, saying “those demanding Israel show 'restraint' should remember that they have the ability to inflict regime-threatening damage on Iran and have already shown restraint by not doing so.”