The most powerful man in Washington: The rare dual role given to Marco Rubio

US President Donald Trump has made Secretary of State Marco Rubio's appointment as National Security Advisor permanent, after he served concurrently for about 16 months. Rubio is the second person in American history, after Henry Kissinger, to hold both senior positions simultaneously. The appointment gives him control over the diplomatic apparatus and the National Security Council, and reflects Trump's personal trust and a desire to streamline the security chain of command.

US President Donald Trump has signed an appointment order making Secretary of State Marco Rubio's tenure as National Security Advisor permanent, after he served in the role temporarily for about 16 months. This makes Rubio only the second person in American history – after Henry Kissinger in the 1970s – to simultaneously hold the two central power centers of foreign and security policy. The dual role gives Rubio dual control: leading the entire diplomatic apparatus as Secretary of State, and managing the National Security Council with direct daily access to the Oval Office. The appointment comes against the backdrop of a series of additional roles Trump has assigned to him, including de facto management of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the role of Acting Archivist of the United States. The accumulation of hats has become a viral phenomenon on social media, but behind the humor lies a real concentration of power. The decision reflects deep personal trust from Trump and a desire to streamline and shorten the security chain of command, while preventing internal power struggles between the Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor.