The White House has fired the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Fox News has learned.

USAID Inspector General Paul Martin was fired Tuesday, though rather than coming from USAID acting administrator and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the firing reportedly came from the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.

The dismissal comes days after the USAID inspector general published a report that was critical of the Trump administration’s pause on aid.

It also comes a day after USAID warned that the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID had made it all but impossible to monitor $8.2 billion in humanitarian funds.

DESIGNATED TERRORISTS, EXTREMIST GROUPS RAKED IN MILLIONS FROM USAID, MULTIYEAR STUDY REVEALS

USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency. 

The agency announced on its website Feb. 4, that nearly all personnel would be placed on leave by Friday, making a few exceptions for those in roles related to "mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs." 

Its overseas missions reportedly had also been told to shut down.

USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, 'INCRIMINATING' BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED

Lawmakers, news outlets and think tanks have dug into past reports related to USAID spending amid the apparent dismantling of the agency, finding countless examples of money channeled to questionable organizations or programs, such as creating a version of "Sesame Street" in Iraq, or funding pottery classes in Morocco.

This week, it was discovered that USAID provided millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies, according to a report published by Middle East Forum, a U.S. think tank.

USAID was established in 1961 under the Kennedy administration, operating as an independent agency that works closely with the State Department to allocate civilian foreign aid. 

Under Rubio, the agency could be abolished after its reorganization over the coming days, he said in a letter to bipartisan lawmakers on Feb. 3.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies, according to a report published by Middle East Forum, a U.S. think tank.

"The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters," the conservative think tank wrote in its report published Feb. 4. 

"Billions more of federal dollars have been given to leading American aid charities which have consistently failed to vet their terror-tied local partners, and show little interest in improving their practices, to the apparent indifference of the federal government."

The Middle East Forum’s report focuses specifically on funds from USAID and the State Department that wound up in the hands of radical groups and organizations tied to terrorism.  

USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, 'INCRIMINATING' BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED

RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’

The think tank reported that among its top findings, USAID was found to have given more than $900,000 to a "Gaza-based terror charity" called Bayader Association for Environment and Development. The funding began in 2016, and its most recent allocation was made just days before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. 

Bayader describes itself as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that works "to build a civil society" on the Gaza Strip. 

"Founded in 2007, shortly after Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip, Bayader operates in close cooperation with the Hamas regime. Its 2021 annual report notes ‘coordination’ and ‘meetings’ with Hamas’s Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture," the report found. 

'VIPER'S NEST': USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM

The funds were secured through other NGOs, such as Catholic Relief Services and medical groups. 

"​​But USAID coordinates directly with Bayader as well," according to the report. "USAID officials have praised Bayader’s work on social media, and even visited Bayader’s offices, where one senior USAID official, Jonathan Kamin, received an award from the terror-linked charity." 

The report also found that USAID approved a $12.5 million grant in 2024 to the American Near East Refugee Agency, which is also "a long-standing partner" of Bayader. The American Near East Refugee Agency is an NGO that was established in 1968 in an effort to assist refugees following the Arab-Israeli War. 

The report found staffers with the NGO have repeatedly and publicly posted "violent ideas, without apparent censure from top charity officials." The comments on social media posted by employees include: calling on God to "erase the Jews," expressing support for the "brave prisoners" in Israeli jails during the Hamas-Israel war, and describing Oct. 7, 2023, as a "beautiful morning."

Sam Westrop, the director of the Middle East Forum's counter-extremism project, Islamist Watch, posted a highlight thread on X of the report’s findings, describing the examples as "horrifying."

"USAID won't even tell us how much they gave the Unlimited Friends Association, a Gaza terror charity which operates with help from Hamas. The head of the charity promises to ‘cleanse’ their land of ‘impure Jews,’" Westrop posted in the thread of an example. 

USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN

"USAID gave millions to Islamic Relief, whose Gaza branch openly works with senior terrorist officials in Gaza, including Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad. who promised that Hamas would repeat Oct 7 attacks ‘time and again until Israel is annihilated,’" he posted in another example from the report. 

USAID funds totaling $125,000 were found in the hands of the Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA) in 2015, despite the U.S. Treasury designating the group a global terrorist organization in 2004 due to its ties to Osama bin Laden. 

WHITE HOUSE FLAGS TOP USAID BOONDOGGLES UNDER ELON MUSK'S MICROSCOPE

The report continued that USAID "undoubtedly knew of ISRA’s terrorism activities. In 2010, the executive director of ISRA’s U.S. branch (IARA-USA) and a board member pleaded guilty to money-laundering, theft of public funds, conspiracy, and several other charges. The plea was listed on USAID’s own website," the report found. IARA-USA stands for the Islamic American Relief Agency.

The funds were directed to ISRA via an evangelical charity called World Vision that works to provide clean water to areas of Sudan, according to the report. 

A World Vision official told Fox News Digital when asked about the report that the charity earned approval to work in Sudan "to help build a better world for the most vulnerable children and their families" and that it takes "compliance obligations seriously."

"As soon as we became aware that a local partner, Islamic Relief Agency, might be on the list of organizations banned from transactions by the United States, we suspended the grant and asked the US Government to confirm its status," the official said. "We would never knowingly put those we serve or our staff at risk by working with a partner on the list of banned organizations. We exist to help build a better world for children and their families, serving in the name of Jesus Christ. We have no evidence that any of our funds have been used for anything other than urgent humanitarian work." 

"As a Christian humanitarian organization, we do not compromise our beliefs nor commitment to integrity as we work with governments throughout the world," the official said. "It is not easy to operate in fragile contexts, yet this is where the Lord is calling us.  We remain committed to our vision of bringing life in all its fullness to vulnerable children around the world." 

Fox News Digital reached out to Bayader, the American Near East Refugee Agency and Catholic Relief Services but did not receive replies. 

USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency. USAID is currently led by interim director Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

The agency announced on its website on Tuesday, Feb. 4, that nearly all personnel would be placed on leave by Friday, making a few exceptions for those in roles related to "mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs." Its overseas missions reportedly also had been told to shut down.

Lawmakers, news outlets and think tanks have dug into past reports related to USAID spending amid the apparent dismantling of the agency, finding countless examples of money channeled to questionable organizations or programs, such as creating a version of "Sesame Street" in Iraq or funding pottery classes in Morocco. 

USAID was established in 1961 under the Kennedy administration, operating as an independent agency that works closely with the State Department to allocate civilian foreign aid. Under Rubio, the agency could be abolished after its reorganization over the coming days, he said in a letter to bipartisan lawmakers on Feb. 3. 

"In consultation with Congress, USAID may move, reorganize, and integrate certain missions, bureaus, and offices into the Department of State, and the remainder of the Agency may be abolished consistent with applicable law," Rubio wrote.

Musk, meanwhile, has posted on X that USAID is a "criminal organization" and that it is "time for it to die."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up his first overseas trip across Latin America with several wins on immigration, a top priority for President Donald Trump.

America’s new top diplomat returns home with a binder full of agreements from foreign governments on day-one priorities to interdict human and drug trafficking – a testament to how the Trump administration wields America’s economic might. 

"I think the fact that his first trip was to Latin America, I think was a huge statement in itself," said Joseph Humire, executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society (SFS).

Next, Rubio will head to the Middle East, with plans to visit Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in mid-February after attending the Munich Security Conference. A broad swath of even more challenging circumstances await him there, including concerns from foreign officials over Trump’s newfangled idea to "take over" the Gaza Strip, with neighboring Arab states staunchly opposed to U.S. insistence that they take in Palestinians. 

RUBIO TO VISIT MIDDLE EAST FOR SECOND TRIP AS SECRETARY OF STATE AFTER TRUMP SUGGESTS US TAKEOVER OF GAZA

Before the secretary took off for Latin America, the Trump administration had already scored several victories. Colombia did a lightning fast about-face on accepting deportation flights carrying illegal immigrants headed home from the United States. President Gustavo Petro had initially denied two flights carrying Colombian nationals, saying he would not accept the return of migrants who were not treated with "dignity and respect" and who had arrived shackled or on military planes. 

But Trump immediately threatened 25% tariffs on Colombian goods, and Petro acquiesced to all U.S. conditions, according to the White House, including accepting migrants on military planes. 

Rubio then began his regional tour in Panama last Saturday, a nation that nervously awaited to see what his visit would hold after Trump repeatedly called for a U.S. takeover of the Panama Canal. 

Trump had claimed the canal was essentially under the control of China – Hong Kong-based firms control the ports of entry – and charging America unfair rates after the U.S. built the canal and gave it back to Panama in a 1977 treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter. 

After Rubio’s visit, Panama said it would not be renewing its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with China, an investment project the CCP uses to secure influence in developing nations across the world. 

"The BRI thing was huge news," said Humire. 

"There are 22 countries in Latin America that signed a BRI agreement. If we really push hard on this, a lot of countries, especially the ones that are allied with us, are going to rethink" their agreements with China, he added. 

RUBIO HEADS TO PANAMA, LATIN AMERICA TO PURSUE TRUMP'S 'GOLDEN AGE' AGENDA

Rubio had warned Panama that if its government did not move to reduce or eliminate the CCP’s grip on the canal, the U.S. would move to do so.

Under the canal treaties, the U.S. retains the duty to defend the canal if it comes under threat. 

But Rubio hit a snag over a claim that the State Department made that Panama had offered free passage through the canal for U.S naval vessels.

Panama President José Raúl Mulino then accused the US of spreading "lies and falsehoods" about his nation offering the U.S. free passage. 

The secretary then rowed back the claim, while calling the charges "absurd." 

"It seems absurd that we would have to pay fees to transit a zone that we are obligated to protect in a time of conflict," Rubio said.  "Panama has a process of laws and procedures that they need to follow as it relates to the Panamanian port."

In Costa Rica, Rubio offered U.S. help to combat a wave of drug trafficking crime and push back on Chinese influence by limiting CCP development of 5G technology in the country. 

Then, in El Salvador, Rubio cinched an offer from Trump-friendly President Nayib Bukele to accept deportees of any nationality, including American criminals. 

EL SALVADOR AGREES TO ACCEPT US DEPORTEES OF ANY NATIONALITY FOLLOWING MEETING WITH RUBIO

At the same time, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 Mexican forces to the U.S. border after Trump agreed to delay a threatened 25% tariff on her nation’s exports to the U.S.

Meanwhile, in Guatemala, President Bernardo Arévalo pledged to accept 40% more deportation flights and to accept people of other nationalities. 

"I think a lot of the wins are because of his prior relationships with the region, his team and, frankly, his experience and his knowledge," said Humire. "He’s somebody that can engage them in their language and in their kind of mannerisms."

And, he added, Latin America saw "how serious" Trump was about deportations, watching the threats the president made to Canada, Mexico and Colombia.

"I think we could have gotten more clarity from Panama on the canal," said Humire. "But I think we met little resistance [overall]."

Rubio wasn’t the only Trump official to secure Latin America wins. Special envoy Ric Grenell sat down with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this week and returned home with six American hostages. The price paid, according to Grenell, was giving the Venezuelan dictator a photo opportunity with an American diplomat for propaganda purposes. 

The Trump administration now expects deportation flights to Venezuela to resume "within 30 days," border czar Tom Homan told the New York Times, after Maduro previously refused to accept Venezuelan nationals back from the U.S. 

"He's on a good-behavior policy," said Humire.  "[Maduro] thinks – they call it agenda zero – they think that they can renew, kind of restart relations with the U.S. by basically being on good behavior, starting to steer us towards their interests."

"Grennell has to be able to get the things that we need without giving a whole lot. And I think he accomplished that," Humire continued. "The photo op, they’re going to spin it, use it for disinformation. But that’s a small concession for bringing hostages home."

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo confirmed that his country is willing to accept migrants of other nationalities being deported from the U.S. under President Donald Trump's administration.

Arevalo made the announcement during a visit from Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. The new agreement declares Guatemala a "safe third country" for deportation, with the U.S. paying for migrants to be eventually returned to their home countries.

"We have agreed to increase by 40% the number of flights of deportees both of our nationality as well as deportees from other nationalities," Arevalo said, speaking during a news conference with Rubio.

The agreement is similar to but less expansive than the one Rubio reached with El Slavador's president, Nayib Bukele, on Tuesday. Bukele said his country would accept U.S. deportees of any nationality, including American citizens and legal residents who are imprisoned for violent crimes.

RUBIO HEADS TO PANAMA, LATIN AMERICA TO PURSUE TRUMP'S 'GOLDEN AGE' AGENDA

"We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system," Bukele wrote on X Monday night. "We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee. The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable."

TRUMP ANNOUNCES VENEZUELA WILL TAKE CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BACK

Rubio said the Salvadoran president "has agreed to the most unprecedented, extraordinary, extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world."

"We can send them, and he will put them in his jails," Rubio told reporters, referring to illegal immigrants behind bars in U.S. prisons. "And, he’s also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentences in the United States, even though they’re U.S. citizens or legal residents."

While Bukele did extend the offer to include violent American criminals, it is highly unlikely that part of the offer would actually happen, since it is illegal to deport U.S. citizens. A U.S. official said the Trump administration has no plans to deport American citizens, but noted that Bukele's offer was significant.

The proposal with El Salvador, known as a "safe third country" agreement, could potentially be an option for Venezuelan gang members convicted in the U.S. if Venezuela refuses to accept them, and Rubio said Bukele offered to accept detainees of any nationality.

Bukele also said he would take back all Salvadoran MS-13 gang members in the U.S. illegally, and promised to accept and incarcerate criminal illegal aliens from any country, especially those affiliated with Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio leaves for his first overseas trip as the nation’s top diplomat on Saturday. Rubio's first stop on the six-day visit is Panama as he sets out on pursuing President Donald Trump’s geopolitical agenda.

Trump used his inaugural address to proclaim his intent to "take back" the Panama Canal, and in a call with reporters on Friday, Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone said Rubio’s chief purpose of the trip would be in re-establishing a "Golden Age" for America.

"This trip signifies… that era of American greatness and the Golden Age," he said, adding that "the 21st century will also be an American century."

MARCO RUBIO LAYS OUT AMERICA FIRST AGENDA IN NEW OP-ED, SAYS DAYS OF NEGLECTING US ‘END NOW’

Claver-Carone pointed out that Rubio’s trip to Latin America is the first time a secretary of state has traveled to the region as their first official visit abroad in over 100 years. 

"Last time that happened, I believe, was in 1912, when Philander Chase Knox went to Panama… to oversee the conclusion of the Panama Canal’s construction and operations," he told reporters. "What a great message to harken back to that Golden Age of the Americas, as President Trump himself has mentioned."

Rubio is scheduled to meet with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.

The pair are expected to discuss migration, combating drug trafficking and China’s presence in the Panama Canal, which Rubio and Trump have argued has become overrun by Chinese companies operating at either end of the crucial waterway.

The Trump administration has argued that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) tight grip over all Chinese companies means that, in extension, the CCP is operating out of the canal and could, in theory, close it to U.S. trade if it chose to — posing a significant security threat. 

TRUMP OFFICIAL TRAVELS TO VENEZUELA TO NEGOTIATE DEAL FOR DEPORTING TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS

Mulino has repeatedly denied that Chinese companies have any influence over the operations of the Panama Canal, and on Thursday said he would not be negotiating ownership of the canal with Rubio.

"It’s impossible, I can’t negotiate," Mulino said during a Thursday press conference when asked about negotiating control of the canal, The Associated Press reported. "That is done. The canal belongs to Panama."

Mulino apparently claimed confusion over control of the canal was attributed to his predecessor, who severed ties with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with China in 2017, eventually allowing a Hong Kong consortium to operate ports at both ends of the canal.

Panama maintains that it controls the canal.

Claver-Carone argued that Chinese companies control "everything from force and logistics to telecommunications, infrastructure, and otherwise," which he said is not only a security threat to U.S. interests in the canal, but to the national security of Panama and the Western Hemisphere.

Rubio is also slated to visit El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, where he will meet with the presidents of each nation before returning to the U.S. on Thursday. 

Addressing Chinese influence in these countries, along with gang violence, migration and drug trafficking, will also be top of Rubio’s agenda.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to allow the Trump administration to review if the money puts "America First."

On Sunday, the State Department released a statement about falling in step with President Donald Trump’s executive order to reevaluate and realign foreign aid from the U.S.

"Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, Secretary [Marco] Rubio has paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for review," the statement read. "He is initiating a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda. President Trump stated clearly that the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people."

The statement continued, saying the review and alignment of foreign assistance on behalf of taxpayers is a "moral imperative," adding that Rubio is proud to protect America’s investment "with a deliberate and judicious review" of how the money is spent on aiding foreign countries overseas.

AFTER RAUCOUS FIRST WEEK IN OFFICE, DONALD TRUMP TO KEEP HIS FOOT ON THE GAS

"The implementation of this Executive Order and the Secretary’s direction furthers that mission," the statement read. "As Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, ‘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?’"

The announcement comes after the Trump administration ordered staffers with USAID to stop providing foreign aid worldwide or face "disciplinary action" for not complying.

Reuters reported that the Trump administration sent a sharply-worded memo to more than 10,000 staff members at USAID on Saturday, offering a "stop-work" directive from Friday that put a freeze on U.S. foreign aid around the world.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NEEDS MORE PLANES TO CARRY OUT DEPORTATIONS: REPORT

The wire service reviewed the memo and said it laid out expectations for the workforce on how to achieve Trump’s goals to put "America First."

"We have a responsibility to support the President in achieving his vision," Ken Jackson, assistant to the administrator for management and resources wrote in the internal memo, titled "Message and Expectation to the Workforce."

"The President has given us a tremendous opportunity to transform the way we approach foreign assistance for decades to come," the memo added. Reuters reported that it confirmed the authenticity of the memo with several sources.

SPEAKER JOHNSON INVITES TRUMP TO ADDRESS CONGRESS AMID BUSY FIRST 100-DAY SPRINT

Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign aid just hours after taking office, to review if the funding was in line with his foreign policy priorities.

On Friday, the State Department issued a pause on aid worldwide.

The U.S. is the largest donor of aid globally. During fiscal year 2023, the U.S. dispersed $72 billion in assistance. It also provided 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations in 2024.

Fox News Digital has reached out to USAID for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Chinese Foreign Minister and Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi that the Trump administration will put the "American people first" and advance U.S. interests in its relationship with China, according to a readout of the call from spokesperson Tammy Bruce. 

The meeting was the first between Rubio and Wang since the former Florida senator was unanimously approved by the Senate this week to become President Donald Trump’s first Cabinet official following Monday's inauguration. 

"The Secretary also stressed the United States’ commitment to our allies in the region and serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea," Bruce said. "The Secretary also discussed other issues of bilateral, regional, and global importance with his Chinese counterpart." 

MARCO RUBIO HEADING TO PANAMA ON FIRST TRIP AS SECRETARY OF STATE: ‘WE WON’T CONTINUE TO IGNORE THE REGION'

Wang told Rubio during the call that he hoped he would "conduct" himself well and "play a constructive role in the future of the Chinese and American people and in world peace and stability." 

He added that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had already set the tone for U.S.-Chinese relations. 

TRUMP, CHINA'S XI SPEAK ON PHONE AHEAD OF INAUGURATION

"The teams of both sides should implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, maintain communication, manage differences, expand cooperation, promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, and find the right way for China and the United States to get along in the new era," Wang said.

MARCO RUBIO CLASHES WITH NBC ‘TODAY’ HOST WHEN PRESSED ON TRUMP'S JAN. 6 PARDONS

Trump has threatened China with 10% tariffs on imports over its role in fentanyl trafficking, starting as early as Feb. 1, and Rubio called the country the gravest threat to the U.S. during his confirmation hearing. 

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Trump n Thursday told the World Economic Forum virtually that he and Xi have "always had a great relationship," and all his administration wants is "fairness. We just want a level playing field."

In one of the first moves of his administration, President Donald Trump signed an executive order taking drastic steps to crack down on the violent Venezuelan migrant gang "Tren de Aragua," which has been terrorizing American cities in recent months.

Also known as "TdA," Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan criminal group present in over a dozen U.S. cities. The group has ties to the socialist Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and according to experts, is being used as a tool of asymmetric warfare to sow chaos and discord in the U.S.

Jose Gustavo Arocha, a former high-ranking Venezuelan military official and senior fellow at the U.S.-based Center for a Secure Free Society, told Fox News Digital that Trump’s order was an "extraordinary move" that is the "first good step in the route to neutralize TdA."

The order – which is titled "Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists" – instructs newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to move to designate Tren de Aragua, as well as Mexican gang MS-13 and other migrant gangs as "foreign terrorist organizations."

WHO IS TREN DE ARAGUA? VICIOUS VENEZUELAN GANG 'FOLLOWING IN THE PATH OF MS-13' IN AMERICA

A foreign terrorist designation expands the government’s ability to crack down on criminal groups operating in the U.S., allowing all government agencies, including the Department of the Treasury, to target that group from every angle.  

The order states that these groups "present an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," and invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEP) to declare a national emergency to "deal with those threats."

"It is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures, thereby protecting the American people and the territorial integrity of the United States," reads the order.

The order gives Rubio 14 days to make policy recommendations – in consultation with the secretaries of the Treasury and Homeland Security as well as the U.S. attorney general and director of National Intelligence – to make a recommendation regarding the designation of TdA, MS-13 and any other group as a foreign terrorist organization.

TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT DESIGNATES VENEZUELAN GANG, TREN DE ARAGUA, AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

According to Arocha, this move could spell the beginning of the end for TdA’s reign of terror in the United States.

"This executive order that Trump signed is perfect to neutralize unconventional tools that were made by the Venezuela regime," he said. "The TdA is an asymmetrical and unconventional tool to harm the United States, [and] not only the United States, all the region … [so] you have to use unconventional tools, too."

Joseph Humire, executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society who in 2024 authored a report on how to dismantle TdA, explained to Fox News Digital that designating these groups as foreign terrorist organizations places them "at the highest level" of U.S. national security interest, meaning their funding and any organizations enabling them can be targeted as well.

"Trump just put all of them on notice," said Humire. "This said: ‘We know you're here; we know you're up to no good and we're going to come after you.'"

TREN DE ARAGUA BELIEVED TO BE BEHIND MURDER OF IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL NEAR BORDER

"Now critics may say, well, he's going to create a war on terror or drugs, and it's really a reaction of fear. They say: 'Oh, you know, these guys are so dangerous.' And what you know about criminality, whether it's terrorism or any kind of criminality, is that they only respond to strength. They prey on fear. If they think you're scared to attack you more," he said. "So, by showing this strength, it's the first action of deterrence."

In addition to sending a message of strength, Humire said the executive order signals that there will be "meaningful action taking place really, really soon to start to arrest and dismantle" TdA’s presence in the U.S.

Andrew Arthur, a law and policy expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, told Fox News Digital that one of the most important aspects of designating TdA a foreign terrorist organization is enabling the U.S. government to target TdA’s funding, which he said can essentially "bleed them dry."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"Money is the lifeblood of these organizations," he said. "It's really the funding element of all this that is crucial to going after a terrorist organization, because if you cut them off from the money, they're not going to be able to pay people. They're not going to be able to pay bribes to corrupt officials, they are not going to be able to pay their foot soldiers, are not going to be able to buy the big guns and the things that they used to operate."

"It's not just the guy with the AK-47 or the guy with the IED that's a terrorist. It's all those people that helped to make that possible," he went on. "So, when you designate them as terrorist organizations, in addition to going after the keepers or the kingpins of these organizations and the various foot soldiers that they employ, you can also go after the individuals who provide material support."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio got into a tense exchange with NBC's "Today" show on Tuesday after one of the network's hosts repeatedly asked him about President Trump's sweeping Jan. 6 pardons.

Following a quick introduction, NBC immediately played a 2021 clip of Rubio condemning the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

"Vladimir Putin loved everything that happened here today because what happened is better than anything he could have ever come up with to make us look like we're falling apart," he said at the time.

After the video ended, NBC host Craig Melvin asked Rubio what message the pardons send to the rest of the world.

FLASHBACK: MEDIA ATTACKED TRUMP FOR FLOATING PREEMPTIVE PARDONS IN 2020 BEFORE BIDEN DID SO FOUR YEARS LATER

Rubio replied that he would not "engage in domestic political debates" with the media and could not in his role as the head of the State Department.

"I hope you guys all understand that my days – at least in the time at the Department of State – of engaging in domestic politics will be put aside as I focus on the affairs the United States has around the world and the engagements we have to have to make our country a safer, stronger, more prosperous place," he later added.

Melvin again pressed Rubio on the pardons – questioning if Trump's decision would give the now freed defendants incentive to foment a future attack.

TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE

"I think it's unfortunate, you know, our first engagement as I agree to come on this morning with you. I'm going to be working on foreign policy issues, and you want to revisit these issues that are going on in domestic politics. I'm just – it's not going to happen," Rubio said. "If you have questions for me about foreign policy and engaging in the world, I'd be happy to talk to you about those."

Rubio similarly stressed his "singular" focus on foreign policy when asked about the pardons on "CBS Mornings" and ABC's "Good Morning America."

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on Monday night after promising at his inaugural parade to sign an executive order on the matter.

Sitting at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, Trump signed off on releasing more than 1,500 charged with crimes stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. The order requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to act immediately on receipt of the pardons.

Fox News' Diana Stancy and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to be the next secretary of state, making him the first of President Trump's Cabinet picks to receive congressional approval.

Rubio, a senator since 2011, was confirmed during a floor vote by the full Senate Monday night, several hours after Trump took his oath of office earlier in the day. The full Senate floor vote occurred following a separate vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which also voted unanimously in favor of Rubio's nomination Monday.  

Rubio enters his role as secretary of state with a strong foreign policy background as a longtime member of the Senate's Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. He is also a first-generation Cuban American.

DESANTIS ANNOUNCES CHOICE FOR SENATE APPOINTMENT AFTER RUBIO'S EXPECTED RESIGNATION 

His road to confirmation has been less controversial than many of Trump's other Cabinet picks. At Rubio's first confirmation hearing last week in front of the Foreign Relations Committee, the committee's top-ranking Democrat, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, said she thought Rubio possessed "the skills" and is "well-qualified" to serve as the next secretary of state. She echoed this sentiment Monday evening as well before the full Senate vote.

"I've had a good working relationship with Sen. Rubio for many years, and I was very impressed during his hearing by his grasp of policy," Shaheen said Monday evening. "While we may not always agree, I believe he has the skills, knowledge and qualifications to be secretary of state."

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Rubio expressed during his initial confirmation hearing last week that under Trump the State Department's "top priority" will be to put America first. 

"This will not be easy," Rubio said. "And it will be impossible without a strong and a confident America that engages in the world, putting our core national interests, once again, above all else."

Rubio will face some major challenges heading into his new role, notably the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Rubio described the fighting between Ukraine and Russia as a "stalemate" that "has to end" during his confirmation hearing last week, adding that under Trump's proposed peace deal both countries will have to make "concessions." Meanwhile, despite Trump's past criticisms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Rubio called the alliance "very important" and insisted that Trump was also a NATO supporter.

On Gaza, Rubio supported Israel's actions to defend itself against Hamas but stopped short of indicating one way or the other if he thought Israel's annexation of parts of the West Bank was something he supported. 

TRUMP'S UN AMBASSADOR NOMINEE ELISE STEFANIK SAYS PRESIDENT SEES ‘GREAT PROMISE’ IN THE UNITED NATIONS

"The idea would be that there not be conflict and the people could live side-by-side with one another without being in conflict and with the ability to pursue prosperity," Rubio said. "Sadly and unfortunately the conditions for that to exist have not been in place for a substantial period of time."

Rubio also repeatedly singled out China during his remarks in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week. "We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this global order. And they took advantage of all its benefits. But they ignored all its obligations and responsibilities," Rubio posited at his hearing. "Instead, they have lied, cheated, hacked and stolen their way to global superpower status, at our expense."

While Rubio did not face significant opposition to his confirmation, some Trump-aligned Republicans have expressed disdain over Rubio's willingness to certify the results of the 2020 election that Trump alleged was "stolen" from him. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has been an outspoken supporter of less U.S. intervention, also questioned Rubio's hawkish stance on American intervention amid his confirmation to be secretary of state.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who is slated to become a U.S. senator, is calling for an audit of the Federal Reserve, pledging to vocally oppose government spending, and declaring that she will fight to bolster the border and remove individuals who enter the U.S. illegally.

With Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., poised to soon leave office to serve as Secretary of State in the new Trump administration, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Moody as his pick to replace Rubio in the U.S. Senate. 

And with even some Democrats planning to support confirmation, Rubio is likely to sail through the confirmation vote.

"Here's a priority of mine in the Senate: our inflation has been fueled by the Federal Reserve. We must audit the Fed!" Moody declared in a post on X.

DESANTIS ANNOUNCES CHOICE FOR SENATE APPOINTMENT AFTER RUBIO'S EXPECTED RESIGNATION

"As Florida’s next U.S. Senator, I will work tirelessly to reduce the bloat of Washington and speak out loudly against government spending," she noted in another post. "Like we've done in Florida, this country needs to cut spending and get fiscally responsible. I look forward to working with DOGE, and I will work hard to leave the next generation of our country on a much stronger financial footing."

When discussing her role in confirming judges and justices, she specifically mentioned Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

"As a former judge, I will take my role confirming judges and justices seriously to ensure that, like Justices Thomas and Alito, they share the values and concepts of law as our Founding Fathers understood them," she said in a tweet. "I will work through the Senate confirmation process to ensure those who get confirmed are strong nominees and know that it is their duty to interpret the Constitution as it is written."

WHO IS ASHLEY MOODY? MEET THE SENATE'S NEWEST MEMBER FROM FLORIDA

Sharing Moody's post, DeSantis called Alito and Thomas "the gold standard."

"In the U.S. Senate, I will support President @realDonaldTrump and fight for legislation that strengthens the border, builds the wall, and removes those who entered unlawfully," Moody noted in a tweet.

DESANTIS TOUTS FLORIDA'S ‘FUTURE WAY OF THINKING,’ VOWS STATE WILL ‘DO OUR DUTY’ TO HELP INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN

DeSantis responded, declaring, "Make Illegal Immigration Illegal Again."

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., revealed on Thursday who he plans to appoint to the Senate once Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., resigns, as he is expected to be confirmed to be President-elect Donald Trump's Secretary of State after his inauguration. 

The governor selected Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to be the next senator. 

CONFIRMATION DELAYS STACK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEES AS PAPERWORK LAGS IN FEDERAL OFFICES

Moody has been a key ally of DeSantis in the state and worked in tandem with him to facilitate his agenda as governor. 

During his Thursday announcement, DeSantis said "So this is something that I thought about long and hard. We did a lot of research. We got a number of great candidates throughout the state of Florida, and many of them, I think, could have done a good job. But the final criteria I used was because you can say all those things and say you stand for it—I wanted somebody with a demonstrated record of delivering results on those important issues. Talk is cheap."

"We need people that have demonstrated fidelity to these principles with their actions. So that is why today I'm proud to announce that I am selecting our Attorney General, Ashley Moody, to serve as our next U.S. Senator," he told attendees. 

Moody accepted the challenge and thanked the governor for choosing her. "Thank you so much. I will bring the same persistence and passion and tenacity as a United States Senator that I have brought as Florida's Attorney General," she said.

DEM SENATOR WHO BASHED HEGSETH'S QUALIFICATIONS STANDS BY DOD SEC WHO OVERSAW BOTCHED AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL

"If you have worked with me and fought with me over the last six years, you know, I don't think of this as a job. I think of it as a calling," she explained. 

When asked about potentially taking on the role on "Fox and Friends First" in November, Moody previously said, "I have my hands full here as attorney general, and I'm incredibly focused on this job, working on behalf of Floridians, making sure I'm protecting the autonomy of the state and pushing Washington out of our business and holding them accountable. Of course, I love … being in leadership, working with President Trump, working with Governor DeSantis. And I hope to continue working on behalf of Floridians."

Initially, Trump and Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., endorsed Trump's daughter-in-law and former RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump to succeed Rubio. However, she later withdrew her name from consideration. 

TRUMP ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE PAM BONDI TO TESTIFY BEFORE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

"After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate," she wrote on X. 

Following Thursday's announcement, Scott congratulated Moody on X. "I welcome @AGAshleyMoody to the United States Senate! Ashley has done an incredible job fighting for Floridians and keeping our communities safe as Attorney General. I have no doubt she will do an incredible job as senator!" he said. 

DeSantis added on Thursday that he expects to appoint Moody to the Senate the afternoon of January 20, after Trump is sworn in to office. 

"We anticipate Senator Rubio to get confirmed very quickly after the inauguration of the 47th president, President Trump," he said. 

He further thanked Rubio for his service as a senator. "I want to thank Senator Rubio for his service in the United States Senate. I think he will serve the country ably as Secretary of State and, we need it because, the last four years has been a total disaster, under the Biden-Harris administration," the governor said. 

Florida's Republican Sen. Marco Rubio sailed through his confirmation hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, all but assuring he will assume the role of top diplomat under the new Trump administration later this month.

Rubio’s confirmation hearing — a process usually full of verbal diatribes, strong political agendas and illusive answers — was full of pleasantries, with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers applauding his work in the Senate and his in-depth knowledge of complex issues across the globe.

Here were the top moments from Rubio’s hearing.

RUBIO TO PITCH FOREIGN POLICY CREDENTIALS TO SENATE AS HE VIES TO BECOME AMERICA'S TOP DIPLOMAT

While Rubio may have been welcomed by his Senate colleagues, his hearing wasn’t entirely contention-free.

The secretary of state-hopeful’s opening remarks were interrupted by several protesters affiliated with a group known as Code Pink, who were protesting the Israel-Hamas war and wore pink shirts that read "stop killing the children of Gaza."

Two of the demonstrators forced to leave the chamber were male, before a female protester also stood up and yelled out in Spanish. 

She was quickly escorted from the room and the hearing promptly restarted.

"I get bilingual protesters," Rubio said to the panel of senators with a grin before resuming his remarks.

Rubio’s quip about the protesters appeared to set the tone for his hearing.

Though Rubio faced tough questions about detailed geopolitical issues on nearly every continent, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also joked around with their Senate colleague.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced Rubio at the top of the hearing and quipped that "finally" he will get to be the senior senator of Florida after the duo have served together in the upper chamber since 2019.

Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.J., drew chuckles when he said, "Sen. Rubio, the President [elect] made a great decision in choosing you. You’re a thought leader in foreign policy. I, however, don’t think most Americans know how great of a thought leader you are in NCAA, NFL and high school football, and I’m a little disappointed that you’re not going to the head of the NCAA right now."

To which Rubio replied, "Not yet," garnering laughs from the room.

In another bipartisan moment rarely seen during Cabinet nomination hearings, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., told a touching story from one of her first encounters with Rubio — a stark contrast to her questioning of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth the day prior. 

In 2018, not only was Duckworth relatively new to the upper chamber, but the soon-to-be new mom was also pushing the congressional body to change its rules and allow new parents to bring their infant onto the Senate floor during a vote.

Duckworth, who is physically disabled after surviving a 2004 RPG attack on her helicopter in Iraq, described rolling across the Senate floor in her wheelchair when she heard someone call out her name. 

"And you came running down from the top back of the Senate chambers to tell me, ‘I’m with you. I will support you’," she said. "And I just want to thank you for that kindness… It was a moment of true bipartisanship."

Rubio responded and said, "I think what I exactly said is, ‘What’s the big deal? This place is already full of babies,'" once again drawing laughs.

INTERNATIONAL UNDERWATER CABLE ATTACKS BY RUSSIA, CHINA ARE NO ‘MERE COINCIDENCE’ WARNS EU’S TOP DIPLOMAT

The five-hour hearing wasn’t all fun and levity, as Rubio was pressed on issues with major security implications like the war in Ukraine, China, NATO and Artic security.

Rubio surprised no one with his tough-on-China approach and his commitment to remaining a strong ally of NATO’s.

However, one area senators may have hoped Rubio would have come out more definitively was over what continued support for Ukraine may look like and how the incoming Trump administration will handle the question of Ukraine becoming a NATO member. 

Both Ukraine and Russia have signaled they are open to negotiating a cease-fire. But securing a lasting peace deal could be difficult as Ukraine entering the NATO alliance has been deemed a non-negotiable by both Kyiv — who wants the alliance’s security — and Moscow — which has fervently opposed Ukrainian NATO membership.

"The truth of the matter is that in this conflict there is no way Russia takes all of Ukraine. The Ukrainians are too brave, and fight too hard, and the country is too big," Rubio said.

But he added that "there’s no way Ukraine is also pushing these people [Russians] all the way back to where they were on the eve of the invasion."

Rubio pointed out that Ukraine will not be able to keep up with the sheer number of bodies that Russia can throw in to the war.

"It's important for everyone to be realistic. There will have to be concessions," he said. "This is not going to be easy. "[It's] going to require a lot of hard diplomacy."

TRUMP CABINET PICKS PAM BONDI, MARCO RUBIO, OTHERS FACED A FULL DAY OF QUESTIONS FROM SENATORS

The security threats surrounding China came up in nearly every issue Rubio was asked to address, including its growing presence in Africa and Latin America, its oppressive practices in the South China Sea, concerns over trade, human rights abuses, tech and its growing relationships with other adversarial nations.

But one issue newer to headlines as of late is China’s involvement in the Panama Canal.

"This is something that's existed now for at least a decade in my service," he said, referring to a 2017 trip he took to Panama. "Chinese companies control port facilities at both ends of the canal — the east and the west. And the concerns among military officials and security officials, including in Panama, at that point, [was] that could one day be used as a choke point to impede commerce in a moment of conflict."

"This is a legitimate issue that needs to be confronted," Rubio added.

The issue of Chinese control over the major waterway resurfaced earlier this month when Trump refused to say whether he would rule out military intervention in the Panama Canal.

Rubio was pressed on the subject multiple times, though he was clear that he was not yet at a point where he knew enough about the legal parameters of U.S. intervention in Panama to give a thorough response. 

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., applauded Rubio for being "extremely well-prepared" for his confirmation hearing as the next secretary of state — a stark contrast to his tense engagement with Hegseth during the hearing a day prior.

"We're used to seeing nominees who know a lot about a couple of things, and sometimes, who know very little about virtually everything," he said. "But I think you've seen a hearing with a nominee who — agree or disagree with the points he's made — he's not talking out of a briefing book.

"He's not having a thumb through a binder to decide how to answer a particular question," Kaine continued. "I've always been struck by working with Sen. Rubio on this committee, since I came to the Senate in January 2013, that he has a very well-developed sense of the world and a passion in all corners of it."

Kaine's sentiment appeared to be shared by the entirety of the committee, and many of the senators expressed confidence that Rubio will be unanimously confirmed for the top job.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who was tapped to lead the Department of State under the second Trump administration, was repeatedly interrupted by protesters during his Senate hearing on Wednesday. 

One female protester was heard shouting at Rubio in Spanish, while at least two men, including one wearing pink, were seen being pulled out of the hearing by Capitol Police after shouting. 

"I get bilingual protesters," Rubio quipped after a protester yelled at him in Spanish, earning laughter from the crowd.

Ahead of the hearing kicking off on Wednesday morning, Fox News Digital spotted Code Pink protesters wearing bright pink with shirts reading, "hands of Iran," and "stop killing the children of Gaza." They also sported anti-Rubio stickers on their headbands and hats.

HEGSETH INTERRUPTED BY MULTIPLE PROTESTERS DURING SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Protesters were warned by the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ahead of the hearing kicking off to not disrupt proceedings, saying they will be removed from the hearing and would not be permitted to a public hearing for at least a year. 

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH'S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

PROTESTS ERUPT IN CHRIS WRIGHT'S CONFIRMATION HEARING

"Distractions will include not only noise, not only standing up, not only holding up painted hands, painted signs. None of that will be allowed. If you do that, I'm going to pause the committee. I'm going to ask our friends, first of all, my, my faithful, Sergeant at Arms here -- who's, perhaps, tougher than the Capitol Police. But also the Capitol Police to assist. And, we will pause briefly … If you are removed, you'll not be permitted back into one of these public hearings for at least 12 months. And, that's the purpose of this is, as I've stated, and it's important work," Republican Idaho Sen. James Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in opening remarks. 

A handful of President-elect Donald Trump's picks for his cabinet are facing Senate hearings this week ahead of his inauguration on Monday. 

Department of Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright's confirmation hearing was also interrupted by protesters on Wednesday, who shouted if his policies would "put out the fires in LA."

Protesters also interrupted Pete Hegseth's Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, when he joined the Senate Armed Services Committee and he was grilled by lawmakers ahead of a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense. 

JD VANCE SPELLS OUT WHAT TRUMP'S PROCESS TO 'RECTIFY' 'UNFAIR' JAN 6 PROSECUTIONS COULD LOOK LIKE

"Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza," one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows. 

An elderly man who was handcuffed with zipties was also seen being escorted out of the hearing. Another man, also appearing to wear fatigues, was seen being carried out by Capitol Police. 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including regarding the war in Israel that has been ongoing since 2023. 

"Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel's war in Gaza. I support Israel's existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well," Cotton said. 

"I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas," Hegseth responded. 

Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is bracing himself for the hot seat as he prepares to sit through the often-arduous confirmation hearing process on Wednesday with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as he vies to lead the State Department under the next Trump administration. 

Though Rubio is not expected to get off easy in front of the panel of his colleagues posed to pressure him on everything ranging from the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and a trade war with China, which Trump has threatened to drastically increase, he is expected to pass through more smoothly than other candidates Trump has slated for his Cabinet.

In an excerpt of Rubio's remarks obtained by Fox News Digital ahead of his address to the Senate body, he highlights the security threats that have emerged following the end of the Cold War and the belief that democracy could succeed across the globe and international free trade was the way of the future.

"While America far too often continued to prioritize the ‘global order’ above our core national interests, other nations continued to act the way countries always have and always will, in what they perceive to be in their best interest," the remarks read. "And instead of folding into the post-Cold War global order, they have manipulated it to serve their interest at the expense of ours."

"The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us," he added. 

Senate Democrat Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois already threw his support behind his Republican peer and on Monday said, "Sen. Rubio and I share many similar views on foreign policy and, as a result, have worked closely together in the Senate to move forward with legislation regarding human rights around the world."

SENATE DEMOCRATIC WHIP DECLARES SUPPORT FOR RUBIO CONFIRMATION: 'MANY SIMILAR VIEWS ON FOREIGN POLICY'

"I believe Senator Rubio has a thorough understanding of the United States’ role on an international scale, has served with honor on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is a good choice to lead the State Department. I plan to vote yes on his nomination when it comes before the Senate," Durbin said in a statement after a meeting in which they discussed security issues involving Russia’s threat in the Baltic Sea and the NATO alliance. 

Trump announced his nomination of Rubio for the top diplomatic job in November, which the senior member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said was not only a "tremendous honor" but a "tremendous responsibility."

"The job of the secretary of state is to execute on the foreign policy set by the elected president of the United States. And I hope to have the opportunity to do it, if my current colleagues here in the U.S. Senate confirm me so," he told reporters on the Hill. 

But Rubio's commitment to execute the wishes of the executive office could also prove to be his most difficult hurdle, not only during Senate questioning but also in taking up the job should he be approved by the upper chamber. 

Trump has repeatedly made clear he expects unwavering loyalty from Cabinet members, advisers in the White House and even military leaders, and reports this week suggest the incoming administration may be planning on clearing house in the National Security Council to ensure the president is only surrounded by those who support his agenda, according to an Associated Press report. 

While Rubio and Trump see eye-to-eye on issues like U.S. support for Israel, remaining tough on China and opposing dictatorial powers in Latin America – all of which are unlikely to garner much opposition from Democrats in the Senate – there are issues that could prove tricky for the three-term senator to navigate.

TRUMP NOMINEE PETE HEGSETH FENDS OFF DEMOCRATIC ATTACKS AT FIERY CONFIRMATION HEARING

Rubio and Trump have a history of exchanging barbs, particularly during the 2016 presidential race.

The duo have long patched up their hostilities in large part because Rubio has more closely aligned himself behind Trump, a move that has meant he is no novice when it comes to walking the political tightrope between appeasing Trump and pursing issues important to him.

This balancing act became evident on the campaign trail when Rubio was asked about controversial comments made by the Trump camp when it came to U.S. support for Ukraine and how to end the now three-year war.

"I’m not on Russia’s side, but unfortunately the reality of it is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is with a negotiated settlement," Rubio said in a September interview with NBC’s "Meet the Press." 

Rubio dodged questions on whether he backed comments made by Vice President-elect JD Vance when he suggested Ukraine cede land to Russia and agree to a demilitarized zone along the current front lines.

Instead, he said, "I would be comfortable with a deal that ends these hostilities and that, I think, is favorable to Ukraine, meaning that they have their own sovereignty, that they don’t become a satellite state or a puppet state."

Rubio also backed Trump after concern mounted over the now-president-elect’s position on NATO when he said he would encourage any nation, including Russia, to "do whatever the hell they want" to any NATO nation not fulfilling their defense spending commitments.

"Donald Trump is not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations," Rubio told CNN’s Jake Tapper in February. "He doesn’t talk like a traditional politician, and we’ve already been through this. You would think people would’ve figured it out by now."

That said, Rubio in 2019 also helped reintroduce bipartisan legislation that would prohibit any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval, a move that Trump threatened during his first term and which remained a top concern that was echoed by Trump's former NSC adviser, John Bolton, during the latest presidential race. 

Rubio’s unwavering outward loyalty to the incoming president could be tested if he is questioned about the president-elect’s expansionist rhetoric, like acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal through the use of the U.S. military. 

Fox News Digital could not reach Rubio’s office for comment on where he stands on U.S. intervention in Greenland, which is technically under the protection of NATO so long as it remains a territory of Denmark, as well as the Panama Canal, which the U.S. gave back to Panama in 1999 but which Trump has accused China of taking over.

Republicans will hold confirmation hearings this week for more than a dozen high-profile administration picks for President-elect Trump's next term, including those for Pete Hegseth, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D.

Hegseth, Trump's Secretary of Defense pick, will have one of the first hearings on Tuesday, when he will go before the Senate Armed Services Committee at 9:30 a.m. and face questions from both Democrats and Republicans. 

Rubio and Noem were tapped by Trump to be his Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, respectively. Noem will appear before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Wednesday at 9 a.m., while Rubio is set to face the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations at 10 a.m. 

TULSI GABBARD CHANGES TUNE ON CONTROVERSIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL FOLLOWING GOP LOBBYING

Other Tuesday hearings include those for Doug Collins to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for Secretary of the Interior. 

Trump also chose Pam Bondi for attorney general, John Ratcliffe to direct the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation and Chris Wright to be Secretary of Energy. Hearings for each of them will be on Wednesday. 

'DELAYING AND OBSTRUCTING': TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN HITS BACK AS DEM CALLS FOUL ON TRUMP CONFIRMATION HEARINGS

Eric Turner, who Trump tapped to be his next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Scott Bessent, whom the president-elect announced as his pick to lead the Treasury Department, have hearings scheduled for Thursday. 

The hearing blitz comes as Republicans prepare to confirm as many Trump nominees as they can, as quickly as they can. 

REPUBLICANS BLAST 'JOKE' SENTENCING OF TRUMP 10 DAYS BEFORE SWEARING IN

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., explained his hope to confirm his choices promptly, on "Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street" on Friday, saying, "In the past, the minority party has not obstructed at least a handful of high-ranking Cabinet members to be approved in the first week. So I'm hopeful that Secretary of State, as well as Department of Homeland Security, will be approved either on the day of the inauguration, the day after or that week, as well as a few others — Department of Defense."

LAKEN RILEY ACT OVERCOMES FILIBUSTER IN SENATE AS DEMS GIVE GOP HELPING HAND

"So, I'm hoping we get to it quickly and that we don't muddle it around. And I still have my fingers crossed that that's going to happen. As far as the two that I'm in charge of, I've seen no resistance on the Republican side. And some indication that we may get some Democrat support as well," he added. 

Republicans are particularly motivated to confirm Trump's national security team, especially in the wake of a recent terror attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, in which 14 were killed, and 35 people were injured. 

Lara Trump, President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law, said Saturday she is removing herself from consideration for Florida Republican Marco Rubio’s seat in the U.S. Senate. 

"After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate," she wrote on X Saturday. 

The president-elect has nominated Rubio to be secretary of state. 

"I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our lifetime and I’m truly humbled by the unbelievable support shown to me by the people of our country, and here in the great state of Florida," Lara Trump added.

TRUMP SAYS HE DOESN'T EXPECT DESANTIS TO NAME DAUGHTER-IN-LAW LARA TRUMP AS RUBIO'S SENATE REPLACEMENT

Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, the president-elect’s son, stepped down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee earlier this month.

" I have read so many of your kind messages and I cannot thank you enough," Lara Trump said, adding she has a "big announcement that I’m excited to share in January."

She said she remains "incredibly passionate about public service and (looks) forward to serving our country again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment."

The president-elect had previously pressed DeSantis to name Lara as Rubio's replacement, a source in his political orbit told Fox News Digital, but he later told reporters he didn't necessarily expect him to select her. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION

"That's his choice," the president-elect added. 

Rubio’s senate replacement will be appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and will serve the remaining two years of Rubio's term. 

In 2026, the seat will be open for a full six-year term. 

Lara Trump had previously said she was "seriously considering" the position, although she wasn’t sure it was right for her. 

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DeSantis previously said he would make an appointment by early January. 

Lara Trump did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.