In brief

• Trump officials are reportedly discussing replacing Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the midterm elections.
• US ambassador to India Sergio Gor is named as a leading candidate, a claim he firmly denies.
• Rubio may leave to prepare for a presidential run in 2028 or 2032, according to the report.

Possible shake-up at the State Department

The Trump administration is reportedly discussing personnel changes after the 2026 midterm elections, in which Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress (The Washington Sun: Марко Рубио на посту госсекретаря может сменить выходец из СССР, посол США в Индии Серджио Гор – Meduza). According to The Washington Sun, one of the posts under consideration is Secretary of State, currently held by Marco Rubio (У Трампа розглядають заміну держсекретаря США: ЗМІ назвали кандидата – TSN).

Why Rubio could leave

The reported reason is Rubio's presidential ambitions. He could step away from the administration to prepare for a run in 2028 or 2032 (СМИ: У Трампа рассматривают замену госсекретаря США – Charter 97).

Gor's role and ambitions

Sergio Gor, a former White House personnel chief and a close ally of Donald Trump, is named as the main candidate for the top diplomatic job. Sources cited by the newspaper say he has been positioning himself for a major promotion and has direct access to Trump. He is described as a key intermediary between Washington and much of Asia and as a trusted associate of Rubio. Gor was appointed ambassador to India in January 2026.

The report also suggests Gor might instead seek the deputy secretary post now held by Christopher Landau. Landau reportedly told colleagues he would resign if Republicans lost the midterms, though he has denied saying so.

Gor's response

Gor rejected the reports. He called them "complete nonsense" and praised Rubio as the "greatest secretary of state in history".

Context

The midterms left Democrats with a majority in the House of Representatives, where at least 218 seats are needed for control. Reporting on the reshuffle rests on anonymous sources, and no official announcement has been made.