Marco Rubio’s Priority at the State Department: White Nationalism
From making deportations its top priority to attacking DEI initiatives, the Department of State’s prerogatives shift under Trump while Rep. Joaquin Castro and Democrats call for reversal of policies
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has always been known for advising the president on foreign policy, managing the country’s international relations, negotiating treaties, representing the U.S. at the United Nations, and assisting U.S. citizens abroad. However, under President Trump’s direction and with Marco Rubio at the helm, it appears those priorities have changed, and are now focused on a white nationalist policy agenda.
In a statement issued last week titled, “Priorities and Mission of the Second Trump Administration’s Department of State,” Secretary Rubio outlined the department’s top priorities. In just the first paragraph, migration was mentioned three times, and “illegal immigrants” were mentioned once. Further exposing the administration's narrow focus on issues manufactured by far-right actors, foreign policy was third on the list of priorities and came up only once – aside from the only other mention in the opening paragraph.
“First, we must curb mass migration and secure our borders. The State Department will no longer undertake any activities that facilitate or encourage mass migration. 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.“
While saying DOS will no longer participate in any activities that encourage migration, which includes the suspension of funding for groups that assist with refugee resettlement, the department is already making moves to maintain the oppression of people in countries like Cuba and Venezuela where many of the migrants in recent years come from. Its actions during Trump’s brief dispute with Colombia also highlighted how DOS plans to continue the bullying of nonwhite countries with measures that lead to migration out of those countries.
Foreign policy also took a back seat to another white nationalist talking point: DEI
Targeting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) within the ranks at DOS was the second priority under Rubio. As the country has witnessed for several years, attacks on DEIA initiatives, like the misinformation-based attacks on immigrants from Latin America, are the foundation of racist rhetoric and act as dog whistles across social media and conservative news media outlets. Now, every governmental department is reinforcing these ideas under Trump.
“Next, we must reward performance and merit, including within the State Department ranks. President Trump issued an executive order eliminating “DEIA” requirements, programs, and offices throughout the government. This order will be faithfully executed and observed in both letter and spirit.“
There is little doubt that the administration’s targeting of nonwhite groups is led by Stephen Miller, who like several other lawmakers, believes in nonsensical conspiracy theories that posit there is a concerted effort to eliminate white people from the U.S. and Europe. This is inarguably the driving factor behind hateful rhetoric and the ensuing policies being implemented today.
When white nationalists suggest rewards “performance and merit,” it’s yet another dog whistle that means white. This intentional phrasing is based on the eugenicist idea that Black people, other nonwhite groups, and women couldn’t possibly be as skilled as white men. This coded language has been at the forefront of Ku Klux Klan rhetoric for decades and is now the key focus of many of the 1400 known hate groups nationwide.
And yet, Rubio goes even deeper.
By the time Rubio’s statement gets to foreign policy, it was still focused on “cultural causes” which is yet another dog whistle for DEI and policies that protect marginalized groups from oppressive government-sanctioned actions. While not specifically mentioned, the language used is the same as what is often employed to target LGBTQ rights, particularly trans rights, which are also seen as contrary to white male dominance in the U.S.
“Relatedly, we must return to the basics of diplomacy by eliminating our focus on 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. “
The focus on bigoted talking points irrelevant to foreign policy should be cause for concern. Many resources are being reallocated under Trump to the detriment of those agencies' missions. Using these resources to address issues related to white nationalism can only be a liability to U.S. foreign and domestic policy. While the implications for people employed at DOS will be immediate, the extent of the long-term harm of these policies won’t be known for years.
Not to be outdone, Rubio asserted the department’s move away from climate policies, an issue every branch of the U.S. military and the scientific community has for years raised red flags over. Not unlike Trump’s previous stint in the White House, his administration is positioned to ignore reality, science, and facts in favor of a narrow-minded and bigoted policy agenda.
“ Finally, we must leverage our strengths and do away with climate policies that weaken America. 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. “
Make no mistake, the “energy dominance” argument is another white nationalist talking point that was used to attack former president Joe Biden and former vice-president Kamala Harris despite the U.S. producing more oil and gas than at any other time in history. Going after ideas and policies they refer to as “green” is not unexpected. However, their origins should be noted as these are manufactured issues promoted by far-right influencers across social media.
Arguably, one of the more alarming points in Rubio’s statement focused on censorship and misinformation. As we know, the far-right has been screaming about being censored on social media as many in the U.S., including lawmakers, have been vocal about information that is detrimental to U.S. policy. An issue that became more prominent with the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In that context, the below paragraph should raise some eyebrows as it appears to serve as a warning to people seeking to bring truth to conversations about foreign policy.
“We must stop censorship and suppression of information. The State Department’s efforts to combat malign propaganda have expanded and fundamentally changed since the Cold War era and we must reprioritize truth. The State Department I lead will support and defend Americans’ rights to free speech, terminating any programs that in any way lead to censoring the American people. While we will combat genuine enemy propaganda, we will do so only with the fundamental truth that America is a great and just country whose people are generous and whose leaders now prioritize Americans’ core interests while respecting the rights and interests of other nations.”
Considering the DOS is the United States’ propaganda machine, when he mentions “malign propaganda” it can only mean stories that run counter to theirs. That means my work bringing much-needed context to conversations about Cuba, exposing the intentional manipulation of the Venezuela election, and my work talking about Palestine, is what this is meant to target. For journalists, particularly independent journalists, this shows us what we are in for.
While much discussion has been had about the chilling effect of the Trump administration on journalism after several outlets and journalists bowed to Trump, it is becoming more evident every day that the intentional targeting of reporters is front and center. With white nationalism growing at an ever more alarming rate and the power DOS has to influence media and social media around the world, reporters who still golf truth to power are in real danger.
As a society, we can not be silent in the face of such oppression both at home and abroad.
Democrats Respond
In a letter signed by all Democrats on the Foreign Affairs Committee and led by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Democrats expressed concerns about the Trump administration’s policy agenda for DOS. They urged Rubio to reverse the removal of career foreign and civil service professionals, follow the law on advancing, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and unfreeze critical foreign assistance programs.
Democrats who signed the letter include House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) and Reps. Brad Sherman (CA-32), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), William Keating (MA-09), Ami Bera (CA-06), Dina Titus (NV-01), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Jim Costa (CA-21), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), George Latimer (NY-16), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Julie Johnson (TX-32), and Sarah McBride (DE-AL).
“As Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, our priorities for this Congress are clear: promoting foreign policy that advances U.S. national security and the economic prosperity of the American people; leveraging foreign assistance to promote democracy, human rights, and stability around the globe and counter the malign influence of our adversaries; deepening and broadening our alliances; and ensuring the State Department and its workforce have what is needed to compete effectively and win partners on the global stage. Ensuring the Department’s personnel policies follow the law, including as it relates to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and that you fully utilize the contributions of every public servant irrespective of background or politics are vital to achieving these critical objectives.”
You can read the full letter here or read the pdf below.
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This reversions to a “white nationalist policy agenda” is a logical expansion from Desantis, “bans teaching that anyone "must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress" based on their race as a result of actions by others in the past” to Rubio hammering home, “the fundamental truth that America is a great and just country” in an example of Florida leading the nation down the drain.