What is secretary of state’s roles? Here are Trump’s potential picks

President-elect Donald Trump is anticipated to enlist U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to serve as secretary of state.
This would make Rubio the first Latino to serve as the nation’s prime diplomat. With a Republican Senate majority currently in place, the chances of this historical moment unraveling are low.
Although Trump’s cabinet picks have yet to be confirmed, there are other strong contenders to consider for secretary of state, such as Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty and Robert O’ Brien, who served as the president-elect’s final national security adviser during his first term.
Here’s what to know about the nominees, and what their duties would entail should they be chosen for the role.
A secretary of state is the president’s chief foreign affairs adviser. They are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate, carrying out the president’s foreign policies through the State Department and the Foreign Service of the U.S.
The following duties are to be managed by the secretary of state, as outlined by the U.S. Department of State:
∎ Serves as the president’s principal adviser on U.S. foreign policy.
∎ Conducts negotiations relating to U.S. foreign affairs.
∎ Grants and issues passports to American citizens and exequaturs to foreign consuls in the United States.
∎ Advises the president on the appointment of U.S. ambassadors, ministers, consuls, and other diplomatic representatives.
∎ Advises the president regarding the acceptance, recall, and dismissal of the representatives of foreign governments.
∎ Personally participates in or directs U.S. representatives to international conferences, organizations, and agencies.
∎ Negotiates, interprets, and terminates treaties and agreements.
∎ Ensures the protection of the U.S. Government to American citizens, property, and interests in foreign countries.
∎ Supervises the administration of U.S. immigration laws abroad.
∎ Pries information to American citizens regarding the political, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian conditions in foreign countries.
∎ Informs Congress and American citizens on the conduct of U.S. foreign relations.
∎ Promotes beneficial economic intercourse between the United States and other countries.
∎ Administers the Department of State.
∎ Supervises the Foreign Service of the United States.
Alongside Marco Rubio, Richard Grenell, Bill Hagerty, and Robert O’ Brien are also nominees for secretary of state. Here is a brief rundown on each, per USA TODAY:
∎ Richard Grenell: Referred to by Trump as “my envoy,” Grenell is considered to be one of the president-elect’s closest foreign affairs advisers. He is also said to have been present during Trump’s private meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
∎ Bill Hagerty: In his role on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Tennessee senator staked a “hawkish” position on China. He also worked on Trump’s 2016 transition team.
∎ Robert O’ Brien: During Trump’s first term, O’ Brien served as final national security adviser and is believed to be close to the president-elect. In May, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Compared to other nominees, he may maintain a more positive relationship with NATO and Ukraine.
∎ Marco Rubio: The Florida senator shares similar views with Trump on foreign policy and was even in consideration to be the president-elect’s 2024 running mate.
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at [email protected].