Quote · The Bulwark Podcast
Maggie Haberman: A Gross and Messy White House
Where this was said
Rubio Is Having the Time of His Life
At 19:20 · chapter starts 18:20
Having personally observed Rubio in the White House's Upper Press area, Haberman reports that he is constantly in and out of Caroline Levitt's office and 'looks like he is having the time of his life.' This contrasts sharply with the first term's reluctant adults — John Kelly and Jim Mattis, both of whom considered Trump dangerous and found his worldview detestable. Rubio, by contrast, rarely travels internationally despite being Secretary of State because he believes he needs to be physically near Trump. And the reason for that, Haberman explains, is that the entire government is run by six to eight people depending on the issue. If you're not in the room with Trump, you have no idea what is happening at the State Department, the Pentagon, or the CIA.
Stop looking for a John Kelly or Jim Mattis in this White House. Rubio is constantly in the West Wing, in and out of the press secretary's office, and by Haberman's eyewitness account, loving every minute of it. He's dual-hatted as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor specifically because he wants to be near Trump — not to restrain him.
The most consequential decisions in the Trump administration are made by just six to eight people, leaving senior officials at State, the Pentagon, and CIA out of the loop.
