FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump stands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he prepares to depart for Hagerstown, Maryland, at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, U.S., June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is among the few traditional conservatives in a presidential administration dominated by ultra-MAGA Donald Trump loyalists.
Rubio, unlike many of Trump's appointees, received strong bipartisan support during his Senate confirmation hearing. And many Never Trump conservatives hoped that Rubio wouldn't toss aside his roots in traditional Reagan/Bush conservatism.
But during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 8, President Trump — the Daily Beast's Leigh Kimmins notes — found a way to "humiliate" his secretary of state.
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Kimmins observes, "One moment in particular stood out, as the commander-in-chief revealed that he pulled rank on Rubio to relieve him of a 'beautiful' grandfather clock that was stationed in his State Department office…. Trump then earnestly launched into a story about how he forced Rubio — who, in a jab about his height, he dubbed 'Little Marco' during the 2016 presidential campaign — to give up the ornamental timepiece…. He said he received pushback from Rubio before he was forced to pull rank."
Trump, at the Cabinet meeting, told attendees, "I had to read him the rule and regulations. I said, 'Marco, I have the right to do it'…. That’s his contribution to the Cabinet Room. But, by the way, it’s an incredible clock."
While making his point, Kimmins notes, Trump "slapped Rubio's back for a second time — hard."
Although Trump was being humorous, Kimmins writes, he was also reminding Rubio exactly who is in charge.
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Read the full Daily Beast article at this link (subscription required).