Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State and son of Cuban immigrants who fled the island in the 1950s, has emerged as the most influential figure within Donald Trump's circle and the favorite among major Republican donors to contest the presidency in 2028, according to an extensive profile published by Bloomberg Businessweek which features on the cover of its September issue.
The portrait of the Cuban-American diplomat reveals a politician who has taken an improbable path: from rival who called Trump "a fraud" and "the most vulgar person ever to seek the presidency", to becoming his most loyal lieutenant and the official who spends the most hours each week in the White House.
Rubio is the first official since Henry Kissinger, under the presidency of Richard Nixon half a century ago, to serve simultaneously as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor.
That dual role grants him an office in the west wing of the White House and walk-in access to the Oval Office, an advantage that, according to administration advisors, is crucial for maintaining influence over a president as unpredictable as Trump.
The Cuban-American angle is inseparable from his trajectory.
Raised in the exile community of Miami during the 1970s and 1980s, Rubio learned Spanish before English and as a child dreamed of leading an army to overthrow the communist regime. In his law school admission essay, he wrote that he would use his education to help build a new legal and political system for a free Cuba.
Today, he executes that vision from power. He was a key figure in the planning of the military operation in January 2026 that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, and was alongside Trump in Mar-a-Lago watching the operation in real-time.
Since then, he has been personally leading the maximum pressure campaign against the Cuban regime. According to a source quoted by Bloomberg, Rubio's strategy towards Havana can be summarized in one phrase: «Let's tighten the pressure on the regime until it collapses».
After Maduro's capture, Trump blocked the shipments of Venezuelan oil to Cuba and pressured Mexico—through tariff threats—to stop its own supplies to the island. The result has been a deepening of the Cuban energy crisis, with recurring blackouts that the UN has warned could lead to a humanitarian emergency.
«If I lived in Havana and were part of the government, I would be worried, at least a little», said Rubio alongside Trump after the operation in Venezuela.
Regarding 2028, the profile from Bloomberg describes Rubio as the most desired candidate within Trump's circle to succeed him in the White House, surpassing Vice President JD Vance.
Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel and one of the biggest financial backers of the Republican Party —having contributed over 100 million dollars to the 2024 campaign— indicated this summer that he would support Rubio over Vance.
At a dinner at the White House, Trump asked his guests: «Who wants JD Vance? Who wants Marco Rubio?» and remarked: «It seems like a good ticket», although he clarified that this did not mean his endorsement.
At a fundraising event for Maga Inc. in Mar-a-Lago, almost all attendees raised their hands for Rubio when Trump asked the same question.
«No one says it out loud, but behind closed doors, many support him as the favorite for 2028. It's not something against JD. It's just that Rubio is the best person to carry the torch», said a Trump ally cited by Bloomberg.
Rubio himself has publicly dismissed any immediate ambitions. "I'm not talking about the presidency. I have two important jobs. They occupy all my time, seven days a week," he stated to Bloomberg Businessweek in a phone interview on September 11.
Close associates of the secretary acknowledge, however, that some in his circle have privately explored the optimal moment for a potential departure from the administration, and that he might choose the private sector before deciding on his next political move.
Rubio categorically denies it: «Whoever tells you that is simply lying. They are making it up to make themselves relevant».
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