In the wake of President Donald Trump's first 100 days, no executive department has had more to respond to than the State Department, facing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the deportation of thousands of migrants to their countries of origin, and a worldwide trade standoff with close to 200 countries.
This comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio now has many duties within the Trump administration that extend far beyond leading the State Department. He is also the national security director, the national archivist, and the acting administrator of USAID.
Tommy Pigot told Scripps News that Rubio has become a key figure in implementing President Trump's foreign policy agenda.
"When you look at Secretary Rubio and what he's able to accomplish in partnership with so many other people, in partnership with President Trump, it really has been astonishing. That's what the 100 days has really shown us," Pigot said. "I think what we're really seeing is that strong collaboration and communication among so many people in the administration, the State Department, the White House, and various other agencies, working together in a whole-of-government approach to really implement the president's agenda."
Among Rubio's tasks is implementing a rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine as it continues battling Russia for a fourth year. While President Trump has urged Russia and Ukraine to end hostilities, the White House has stated that tying America's economic interests to Ukraine will help bolster its defense against Russia.
The deal, however, did not come with any security guarantees for Ukraine.
"This is a historic, first-of-its-kind agreement where we're seeing 50% of the funds from this investment fund, of the profits from this investment fund, going back into Ukraine for other projects, making sure we have that long-term mutual prosperity that benefits both the people of Ukraine and the American people," Pigot said.
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The Trump administration has also continued to back Israel in its fight against Hamas in Gaza as hostilities have persisted since October 2023. Pigot noted that the State Department remains hopeful for a ceasefire but added that the U.S. will back Israel's right to defend itself.
"We've seen President Trump put forward proposals that are about prosperity for the people of Gaza and Israel, for the entire region," Pigot said. "We want to see that peace, and again, President Trump, being the best dealmaker we've ever had as president, is working towards that peace with his north star being long and enduring stability."
The Trump administration's work, however, has faced significant criticism from Democrats. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described the United States' reorganization of USAID as "wanton," accusing Rubio of presiding "atop a kingdom of ash rather than defending the work he once praised."
"This is not reform; it’s abandoning decades of bipartisan support for centering human rights and democracy in our foreign policy—without consultation, without engagement, and without any regard for Congress’s constitutional role as a co-equal branch of government," Meeks said.
