Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his recent address at the Acropolis in Athens reflected the core of the Trump administration’s America First foreign policy.
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, he described Americans as the heirs of Greek and Roman civilization whose values and achievements should be embraced rather than apologized for.
“We are the heirs—we inherited from Greece and from Rome, and ultimately through Europe, many of the values that today underpin our country,” Rubio said. “The only culture and the only civilization in the world today who seems apologetic about its history and its achievements is the West, and it’s having a dramatic impact on foreign policy.”
He argued that rediscovering this shared heritage under President Trump is essential and that other Western leaders are increasingly receptive, even if translating the view into policy takes time.
On 2028 and focus on the job
Rubio declined to discuss any potential 2028 presidential run, saying he has already answered those questions and is focused on his two roles. He noted that Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and others are likewise concentrated on their work.
Energy and Greece
Rubio highlighted Greece’s role in energy exploration and as a geographic connector between Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. He said Greece’s openness to developing resources and its position for pipelines and transit make it well placed to help reduce European dependence on adversarial energy suppliers.
He recalled that Trump was mocked in his first term for warning that German reliance on Russian gas left Europe vulnerable—something that later proved accurate. Rubio expressed hope that other European countries will follow Greece’s example on energy production and diversification.
US-Greece relations after Guilfoyle
This was Rubio’s first major interview since the resignation of Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle. He said it had been only a couple of days since her departure and the administration was not yet ready to name a replacement, but that the relationship between the two countries remains as strong as ever and will only grow stronger.
He specifically praised Greece’s role in NATO, noting it is one of the few countries that increased defense spending independently of pressure from Trump.
“Well, Greece is an important country, very important. They’re a great ally of the United States,” Rubio said. “They’ve been helping us in so many different ways, and they’re important for our future. They’re at the cornerstone of so much of what we care about, whether it’s energy independence, whether it’s regional stability, whether it’s NATO, and the role they play in NATO. So Greece deserves a strong and good ambassador that has access to and the confidence of the president.”
He added that the administration would take time to identify the right person and go through the confirmation process, while ensuring a capable team remains on the ground. “In no way should any of this be viewed as a de-emphasizing of the Greek relationship. On the contrary, I think it’s so important to us that it is important that the person that’s there have the complete support and confidence of the president.”
Western Hemisphere shift
Rubio pointed to a series of elections across Latin America that have produced pro-American, anti-cartel leaders as a major under-appreciated success of the second Trump term. Recent votes in Colombia and Peru brought conservative, pro-American presidents to power, and Brazil appears headed in a similar direction. He said a central focus of the second Trump term has been the United States’ own backyard in the Western Hemisphere, and that President Trump has not received enough credit for the shift.
He linked the trend in part to the shutdown of USAID and the redirection of foreign aid toward US interests rather than groups he described as anti-American.
Ukraine
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Rubio said the core dispute centers on the remaining Ukrainian-held portion of Donetsk, which Kyiv views as its last defensible line before Kyiv itself. He said the recent temporary waiver allowing more Russian diesel onto global markets was driven by US economic needs amid energy disruptions elsewhere, not by favoritism toward either side. The US remains ready to mediate but sees no easy path to a settlement.
Iran
Rubio said the administration’s military actions have prevented Iran from building a conventional missile-and-drone shield behind which it could pursue a nuclear weapon. He described current US efforts as focused on securing oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz while imposing severe sanctions that deny Tehran resources for proxies and its own programs.
The interview took place on 15 October 2026 at the State Department.
Source: Breitbart News (Matthew Boyle, 18 October 2026)
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