Marco Rubio sworn in as Secretary of State, pledges to actualize ‘clear mandate’ for Donald Trump foreign policy

Marco Rubio demonstrates that the only constant is change. Image via AP.

It’s now official: Florida’s Marco Rubio will helm the Department of State under the Donald Trump administration.

After a unanimous confirmation vote hours after the President was inaugurated Monday, the former Senator was sworn as Secretary of State on Tuesday. Rubio promised to help Trump deliver on a foreign policy vision for which he has a “clear mandate.”

“President Trump was elected to keep promises, and he’s going to keep those promises. And his primary promise when it comes to foreign policy is that the priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States. It will be furthering the national interests of this country, and he has given us a very clear mandate,” Rubio said Tuesday.

The new chief diplomat outlined Trump’s America First priorities.

“President Trump’s made it very clear everything we do — and this is true in government, but especially at the Department of State — everything we do must be justified by the answer to one of three questions: Does it make us stronger? Does it make us safer? And does it make us more prosperous?” Rubio said.

“If it doesn’t do one of those three things, we will not do it. And so that is the goal and that is the task and that is the promise that he was elected to keep, and that is the promise he will keep and we will help him keep. It’s a transformational moment.”

The Senator believes that the U.S. is “headed into a new era that I think will make the world a safer place.”

“President Trump made clear in his inaugural speech that one of the primary goals of American foreign policy is the promotion of peace. Of course, peace through strength, peace and always without abandoning our values, but I think it’s extraordinary that it’s something that needs to be said and hasn’t been said enough in recent memory. And we look forward to being a key part of helping the President achieve his agenda, that he has a clear mandate to keep,” Rubio said.