Rubio rules out leaving the administration

Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said on Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the Trump administration. He told The New York Times it has "always been my plan" to serve President Donald Trump until the end of his term.

Rubio also said he did not know the origin of the resignation reports. "I don't know where these things come from, to be honest with you," he said. His denial came after Republicans' losses in the midterm elections.

What the reports said

Earlier on Thursday, Bloomberg News reported that Rubio was weighing whether to leave the administration. According to that report:

• •Rubio had spoken to White House officials about stepping down
• •He was asked to stay in his post

The State Department pushed back sharply. Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for global public affairs, called the Bloomberg article "totally made up."

Johnson also rejected a report by The Independent, which said Rubio planned to launch a 2028 Republican presidential bid, calling it "completely baseless fake news."

2028 questions persist

Rubio holds a second job in the administration as Trump's national security adviser, and he is widely considered a potential successor to Trump in the 2028 presidential race. On Thursday he declined to discuss his political future. "I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore," he said.

Days before Tuesday's midterm elections, Rubio appeared alongside Trump at a rally, briefly stepping up on the podium to address a cheering crowd. He has previously said he would support Vice President JD Vance if Vance ran for president; Vance is also widely viewed as a possible 2028 candidate.

Rubio says he will remain in the administration through the end of Trump's term and will not discuss 2028 further.