Rubio stresses refocus on national interest as guiding mission of American foreign policy

January 22, 2025

New Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday reiterated the Trump administration’s refocus on the United States’ national interests as the guiding mission of its foreign policy, which he said seeks to make America “safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”

A day after assuming office, Rubio outlined his department’s priorities, including curbing mass migration and securing borders; rewarding performance and merit; stopping censorship and suppression of information; and doing away with climate policies that he said weaken America.

“President Trump has given me a clear direction to place our core national interest as the guiding mission of American foreign policy,” he said in a statement.

“Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer?, Does it make America stronger?, Does it make America more prosperous?,” he added.

He pledged to pursue a “more innovative, nimble, and focused” State Department.

“This will require replacing some priorities, deemphasizing some issues, and eliminating some practices,” he said.

The secretary reaffirmed Trump’s focus on border security.

“The State Department will no longer undertake any activities that facilitate or encourage mass migration,” he said. “Our diplomatic relations with other countries, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, will prioritize securing America’s borders, stopping illegal and destabilizing migration, and negotiating the repatriation of illegal immigrants.”

His priorities included removing climate initiatives — that weaken America — in pursuit of “energy dominance.”

“While we will not ignore threats to our natural environment and will support sensible environmental protections, the State Department will use diplomacy to help President Trump fulfill his promise for a return to American energy dominance,” he said.

He also called for a return to the “basics of diplomacy” by eliminating a focus on what he called “political and cultural causes that are divisive at home and deeply unpopular abroad.”

“This will allow us to conduct a pragmatic foreign policy in cooperation with other nations to advance our core national interests,” he said.