In brief
The U.S. State Department has denied reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will resign to launch a presidential campaign. Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson called the rumors a "baseless hoax" and noted no confirmation from the White House. The speculation came amid Republican losses in the November ’23 mid‑terms, but no official statements confirm any forthcoming resignation.
U.S. officials have denied reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will resign to prepare for a presidential run, labeling the rumors as fabricated and baseless, the State Department said on July 17, 2014.
The claim, first reported by the British newspaper The Independent, suggested that Marco Rubio might step down after the Republican Party suffered losses in the fall elections, a move that could allow him to distance himself from President Donald Trump’s policies and position himself for the 2028 nomination. The article cited unnamed sources that had discussed a possible “new direction” for Rubio and the potential for up to five federal agency heads to leave the Trump administration in the near term.
"This is completely baseless fake news from made‑up anonymous ‘sources’," Dylan Johnson wrote on his X page.
Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Press and special assistant to the President, called The Independent’s report a “completely fabricated hoax,” a "humiliating own goal" by the outlet. Johnson stressed that the White House and the State Department had not confirmed any rumors of Rubio’s departure.
The statement follows election day, when voters chose 35 of the 100 senators and all 435 members of the House of Representatives, as well as governors in 36 states. According to the latest estimates by U.S. media, Democrats are winning a majority of the seats in both chambers of the new Congress, while Republicans continue to hold majorities in the Senate and the House.
Observers note that the timing of the rumors—coming just days after the mid‑term elections—reflects a broader sense of uncertainty within the Republican ranks. Analysts speculate that a resignation could be perceived as a strategy to shed association with the president’s controversial policies, notably the war in Iran. However, no statements have yet confirmed Rubio’s intent, and the White House remains silent on the matter. The situation remains fluid, with officials warning that the story is entirely unfounded at present.
