Top Trump officials have fanned out across the country to rally behind Republican candidates with just 64 days to go before the midterm elections, but one notable surrogate has been absent: Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio, widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender, has largely steered clear of the campaign trail even as other top administration officials have embraced political travel. War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Attorney General Todd Blanche have all appeared at events as Republicans scramble to preserve their congressional majorities.
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Rubio, meanwhile, has remained focused on the sprawling foreign policy portfolio Trump has handed him. His absence is partly institutional. A spokesperson for the State Department told the Washington Examiner in a statement that it is a “long-standing” department policy to “prohibit Senate-confirmed Presidential appointees from attending partisan conventions.”
“This is to avoid any appearance of partisanship in the conduct of foreign relations and in recognition of the need for the U.S. Government to speak with one voice on foreign policy matters,” the spokesperson said.
Trump’s former first-term Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sparked controversy in 2020 after he defied the department’s precedent by delivering a prerecorded speech to the Republican National Convention.
At the time, the State Department told Politico that Pompeo’s address was “in his personal capacity,” and that “No State Department resources will be used.”
Rubio himself acknowledged the constraints of his job during a 2025 interview with Lara Trump, saying there are “rules against me being involved in domestic politics.”
The policy makes it unlikely Rubio will attend the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention set for September. Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance are set to deliver speeches at the two-day convention in Dallas, Texas.
A former Rubio aide told the Washington Examiner that staying away from domestic politics likely fits the secretary of state just fine because he “loves his current jobs” in the Trump administration.
“It’s really just as simple as like he’s doing what he wants to do, which is impactful foreign policy work,” the aide explained. “And I think this is what he’s always wanted to do. … He doesn’t want to hit the campaign trail when he could be working on substantive foreign policy.”
Most appearances by Trump administration officials this year have been official events touting the president’s record or specific policy initiatives. But some of Trump’s top allies have ventured into more explicitly political territory as well.
Hegseth, for example, has hit the campaign trail for Kentucky GOP nominee Ed Gallrein, who ousted Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). The war secretary also recently attended the Iowa State Fair with Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), who is seeking reelection in a battleground House seat.
Duffy, meanwhile, is set to appear with Vance and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson at a MAGA Inc. event on Monday in Michigan.
Senate-confirmed and presidentially appointed officials are generally permitted to participate in partisan political events only in their personal capacities under the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by federal employees while they are carrying out official duties. That’s why the MAGA, Inc. announcement identifies Duffy and Ferguson as the “Honorable,” signaling that they are appearing in their personal capacities.
Rubio’s absence from such political events is particularly notable because of the persistent speculation surrounding his own political future. The secretary of state is considered a possible contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, though he has repeatedly said he would defer to Vance if the vice president decides to run.
The former Rubio aide argued his behavior hardly resembles that of someone quietly preparing a presidential campaign.
“I think if he was looking to run for president in a year or two, you know, he’d be doing everything JD Vance is doing, spending time with donors, cultivating donors, campaigning in the midterms, raising money — he’s not doing any of that,” the former aide said.
The ex-aide told the Washington Examiner that if Trump personally asked Rubio to hit the campaign trail, he “probably would,” but said he believes Rubio, who previously ran for president in 2016 against Trump, is “completely content” doing his day job.
“I mean, look, if Rubio wanted to go campaign for somebody in Iowa, he would, but I don’t think he wants to do that right now,” the former aide said. “I think he really enjoys the policy work, and you know, is prioritizing that.”
Rubio could nevertheless be a useful political surrogate. He has a lower unfavorable rating compared to both Trump and Vance, according to RealClearPolling. But staying clear of the midterm elections also carries a political advantage: Rubio avoids taking ownership of the outcome.
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The former aide described Rubio as a a “terrific campaigner,” and would likely be “well received” on the campaign trail, but argued there is little downside for the secretary of state in sitting this election out.
If Republicans lose their House and Senate majorities, the former aide said, “it’s not going to be Marco Rubio’s fault.”
