US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ended up in the eye of the storm for some trips for “family reasons” made at taxpayers’ expense. The Washington Post broke the news: according to the US newspaper, Rubio would have regularly traveled to Florida to go and watch his son’s football games, using the state flight.
Rubio’s travels
Since March 2025, Rubio is said to have made at least 23 trips to Gainesville aboard military aircraft, at an estimated cost to the public purse exceeding $1.2 million. For security reasons the Secretary of State must fly on military aircraft and can only reimburse the equivalent of an economy class airline ticket. “I have tried, and will continue to try – he told the Washington Post – to attend as many events as possible that are important to me personally and to my family”.
Son’s games
Anthony Rubio, the third of the secretary’s four sons to join the varsity team, took part in just four games in four years. The father, who himself played college football, attended every game his son played in, as well as numerous others his son did not attend.