Former U.S. senator from Florida Marco Rubio jumps into new role as secretary of state with flurry of phone calls, planned trip to Panama.

The new secretary of state took center stage in a diplomatic rift with Colombia over deportation flights, adding teeth to Trump's threats of sanctions.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday named Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody as his pick to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate, ending weeks of speculation about who the governor would elevate to one of the most powerful political posts in the state.

The Senate has confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state, giving President Donald Trump the first member of his Cabinet.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For Marco Rubio, the easy part is over ... the son of Cuban immigrants who arrived in Miami in May 1956 “with nothing but the dream of a better life,” he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.

Washington — The Senate on Monday confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state, making him the first of President Trump's Cabinet nominees to win the approval of the upper chamber. The Senate confirmed Rubio in a 99 to 0 vote as his former colleagues in the Senate touted his qualifications for the job.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has been confirmed to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, becoming the first member of Trump’s cabinet to receive the approval of the U.S. Senate since Trump took office Monday afternoon. The vote was nearly unanimous, with 99 senators supporting his confirmation.

Ron DeSantis, left, announced her appointment as U.S. senator to replace Marco Rubio, during a press conference at the ... Ashley Moody speaks at a news conference, Jan. 26, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File) Florida Attorney General Ashley ...

In his confirmation hearing, Marco Rubio said that "the moment of truth is arriving" for Cuba's communist rulers. I am certain that moment will someday arrive. And I am certain it will arrive much sooner with America's support.

Newly sworn-in Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded his swearing-in ceremony by publicly thanking Jesus Christ for his guidance and support.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is paying much-needed attention to Latin America.. But his mission statement has key omissions

President Donald Trump cannot take the Panama Canal — at least not legally — as he would be violating every single treaty that the U.S. has come into with Panama since 1945, international law and national security experts told WLRN.