Rubio news triggers MAGA backlash

“We are still waiting on the decision from President Trump and the campaign leadership on what their official decision is,” said one Grenell ally on Tuesday morning, granted anonymity to speak freely about the matter. “What we have been hearing is that no decision has been made.”

Spokespeople for Trump have not confirmed the selection, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The person said Grenell’s camp was “operating under that context” — that Trump’s mind isn’t fully made up in favor of Rubio — until they hear official word otherwise.

Later Tuesday morning, Grenell himself replied to a post about the decision not being final and his allies not giving up the fight, by saying, “BS. Stop grifting. Not true” — a sign he too has accepted the decision Trump reportedly made. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Grenell was Trump’s former director of national intelligence and also served as his ambassador to Germany and his special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations. He’s been a controversial figure within Trump’s circles, despite having formed close relationships with Trump’s family members, including Melania Trump and Jared Kushner.

Grenell hosted fundraisers for Log Cabin Republicans featuring Melania Trump, who was paid six figures to appear at the gay conservative organization’s events, and he has been involved in Kushner’s plans to build a luxury hotel in the Balkans.

Some people close to Trump did not like that Grenell appeared to be actively lobbying for the role of secretary of State — a major no-no in Trump world. Grenell, it was noted by some in Trump circles, sat next to Trump at a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York in September.

Behind the scenes over the past several days, Grenell’s critics also reminded people involved in the transition of his prickly personality that has rubbed some key people close to Trump the wrong way, according to people familiar with the conversations.

Yet as Grenell’s detractors saw him as self-serving, some top MAGA voices view him as a loyal ally pushing Trump’s America First agenda. They continued to hold out hope that he would be installed, even after almost every major news organization reported the former president’s plans to nominate Rubio. The news of Trump’s State Department pick was first reported by The New York Times.

Just before 11 p.m. in Palm Beach, influential Republican activist Charlie Kirk on Monday wrote a veiled message warning his four million followers not to trust all the reporting they’re seeing about the cabinet.

“Folks, word of wisdom. If Trump hasn’t confirmed it on Truth [Social], don’t jump to conclusions and don’t believe everything you see,” Kirk wrote.

Elon Musk, a top Trump ally who was seen spending time with Kirk over the weekend in Palm Beach, replied with an “Office Space” meme joking about jumping to conclusions.

“Apparently there hasn’t been a SOS pick yet FYSA [for your situational awareness],” posted Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) late Monday on X, hours after news of Rubio’s selection was broken.

The Hill reported on Monday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump has allowed to weigh in on the makings of his second administration, had “expressed opposition” about Rubio having a major foreign policy role. Rubio has been criticized by some Trump diehards as too hawkish.

News of Rubio’s selection for secretary of state appears to be a setback for Grenell, given that two other high-profile foreign policy jobs were also filled on Monday: Rep. Mike Waltz for national security adviser, and Rep. Elise Stefanik for ambassador to the United Nations.

The criticism of Rubio from online MAGA influencers continued into Tuesday morning, as Trump still had not publicly announced his selection.

“Why are people inside Mar-a-Lago leaking Trump’s possible cabinet picks to the media?” Trump superfan Laura Loomer wrote on X Tuesday. “Not a good sign that things are being leaked already. People should be respecting President Trump’s privacy and the privacy of the transition team.”

Conservative comedian Dave Smith said Tuesday that Rubio is “a disaster.”

“Might as well give Liz Cheney the State Department,” Smith wrote. “Awful sign.”

“Rubio? Was Hillary unavailable?” wrote another far-right influencer.

Other MAGA acolytes recirculated old Trump Twitter posts about Rubio, including during the 2016 primary, when Trump called him a “perfect little puppet” for the late donor Sheldon Adelson, as well as a “total lightweight” and “overrated politician.”