The secretary of state – a neoconservative foreign policy hawk turned America First cheerleader – has defied expectations that he would not last in Trump’s cabinet
The exchange seemed to crystallize a master-servant relationship in a single instant.
Early in January, in a White House gathering with oil executives invited to discuss investment in Venezuela after the US overthrow of Nicolás Maduro, its strongman president, Macro Rubio discreetly passed a note to Donald Trump.
The message was meant to be private. But to Rubio’s obvious discomfiture, the president acknowledged it publicly and divulged its contents to the assorted gathering, to be captured on live television.
“Marco just gave me a note,” Trump announced. “Go back to Chevron. They want to discuss something.”
