Trump nominates Marco Rubio to serve as Secretary of State

"It is my Great Honor to announce that Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The United States Secretary of State. Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom," Trump said in a statement. "He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries."

In a statement, Rubio, 53, said he was "honored" by the trust Trump "has placed in me."

"I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate so the President has his national security and foreign policy team in place when he takes office on January 20," he added. 

The son of Cuban exiles, the three-term senator is known on Capitol Hill as a foreign policy hawk who favors maintaining U.S. alliances overseas, including NATO. 

For example, he voted against the $95 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine and has urged the eastern European nation to negotiate an end to its war with Russia.

In his announcement, Trump described Rubio as "a strong Advocate for our nation, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never back down to our adversaries."

"I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!" he said. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rubio called the role a "tremendous responsibility."

"And the job of the Secretary of State is to execute on foreign policy set by the elected President of the United States, and I hope to have the opportunity to do it if my current colleagues here in the U.S. Senate confirm me," he said. 

He was Trump's rival during his 2016 campaign, where both men sparred during televised debates. Trump sometimes belittled him, sometimes calling him "little Marco."