U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio laid down new expectations for State Department leadership prior to the midterms, warning senior officials to stay within their responsibilities and steer clear of conflicts of interest after U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned in mid-October.
In a meeting held last week, Rubio told a room that included many assistant secretaries that major calls needed approval from him or Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, people familiar with the discussion said, according to a Reuters report.
Trump also plans to make ‘maybe a few changes’ after Democrats took the House and Senate.
Rubio’s New Rules
Guilfoyle stepped down after reports raised questions about whether access to administration officials was being exchanged for money, gifts, and favors, and she has said the claims are untrue.
The midterm backlash has already produced high-profile departures elsewhere in the administration, reinforcing the sense that staffing is becoming a tool for damage control. President Donald Trump said Friday that chief of staff Susie Wiles would leave, with longtime adviser Stephen Miller set to take over.
Another exit cited in the post-election fallout came from the Justice Department, where assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon, who ran the Civil Rights Division, left her role. Dhillon told Fox News she “wasn’t asked to resign” and said she “resigned three weeks ago, and Susie asked me to please wait until after the midterms.”
What Does This Mean?
Inside the State Department, one immediate personnel change followed Rubio’s push for tighter discipline. Three people familiar with the situation said policy chief Jeremy Lewin was pushed out in part over concerns he was working beyond his portfolio without adequate coordination, though they did not tie his exit to ethics allegations.
Lewin, who arrived from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and was involved in dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, publicly said he was leaving to return to the private sector. A State Department official said, “It was mutually agreed it was time (for Lewin) to move on.”
Lewin disputed that he was fired, telling Reuters, “The suggestion that I was fired is false. As planned for weeks with the Secretary and his team, after staying longer than expected to finish key projects, I resigned my position prior to the midterms to assume a private sector role and plan my wedding.”
Trump’s Cabinet Shake-Up: An Imminent Reality?
Two Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Hank Johnson and Deborah Ross said Thursday on SiriusXM’s “The Dan Abrams Show” that they back impeachment efforts. On the Republican side, Rep. Thomas Massie said he planned to push for a vote and called his own resolution “a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dem’s control Congress. They’ll have hearings & trials.”
Hegseth answered in a video posted to X, calling the effort “sham articles of impeachment” and referring to Massie as “A disgruntled, defeated congressman.” Separately, Trump also floated unconventional staffing ideas, urging UFC executive Dana White to take the press secretary job and posting, “We need these people to defend us against the Lunatic Left. Dana, please take the job!”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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