☕ Get to know Marco Rubio

Good morning!

One of my favorite Reddit threads is 'Shower Thoughts’, which discusses existential questions about the world around us.

The best entry this week? We just automatically assume that eggs in recipes mean chicken eggs. Well, huh.

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Some headlines from this morning:

The U.S. and UAE will build a large data center in Abu Dhabi, designed to accelerate the capacity of both countries to invest in AI. According to the Commerce Department, it will be the largest data center in the world outside America. As well as the planned development, the UAE also said it would be building similar centers on U.S. soil. A number of U.S. companies will be involved in the project, but names of the companies were not disclosed. Trump’s visit to Abu Dhabi is the last major stop on his tour of Middle Eastern nations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he expects US-led peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, set to be held this weekend in Turkiye, to fail to deliver a breakthrough. According to Rubio, the decisions by both Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin to send delegations to negotiate on their behalf and not personally attend has left Washington “impatient” with how seriously both parties are taking ceasefire efforts. Foreign Ministers from NATO member nations, who are also meeting this week in Turkiye, have called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. This week, President Trump said the war would only end if Putin agreed to a meeting with him, a call reiterated by Rubio at the NATO meeting. 

Walmart has announced it will need to raise prices on an extensive suite of goods due to the high cost of tariffs. Consumers are expected to feel the impact of price hikes in June. The announcement to Wall Street came after Walmart reported a 3% increase in revenue over the past quarter, with its stock price dropping by as much as 5% in response to the news. The company refused to offer investors guidance as to what it aimed to make in the next quarter due to the “dynamic nature” of trade negotiations.

I’ve got 1 minute

A group of voters has filed a class action lawsuit against a political action committee (PAC) operated by Elon Musk, claiming he failed to deliver promised payments for petition signatures.

The lawsuit alleges Musk's PAC offered $100 to voters in seven swing states who signed a petition supporting the U.S. Constitution during the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election.

Plaintiffs from Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Georgia claim the billionaire entrepreneur has breached a contract by not delivering the promised financial incentives.

Background

Musk's PAC launched the petition initiative in swing states where election results were expected to be close. The petition reportedly asked signers to affirm support for constitutional principles and refer others to sign the document.

At the time, critics questioned whether offering financial incentives for political engagement during the presidential campaign crossed ethical or legal boundaries.

The claims

The class action lawsuit centers on whether Musk’s PAC broke a contract by offering payment for signatures and referrals but not delivering on the promised payments.

Court documents indicate voters were allegedly promised payment for both signing the petition themselves and referring other voters to participate. One plaintiff in the case alleges he is owed more than $20,000 from the initiative.

What’s next

Musk has not yet commented publicly on the lawsuit or the allegations regarding unpaid incentives.

Legal experts note that political incentive programs already face scrutiny under various state election laws, but this lawsuit is directly centered on the promise of payment.

The case could potentially affect thousands of voters across the seven targeted swing states who participated in the petition drive.

Neither representatives from the PAC nor Musk's legal team have filed formal responses to the lawsuit at this time.

I’ve got 2 minutes

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Turkey this week, days after President Donald Trump named him interim National Security Advisor.

The appointment follows the departure of Mike Waltz from the advisor position.

This dual role marks another step in Rubio's rapid transition from Trump critic to key administration figure during the President's first 100 days in office.

Former political rival

Rubio campaigned against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

During that campaign, Trump advocated for reducing America's global leadership role to focus on domestic priorities.

This position conflicted with Rubio's traditional Republican views, often called "Reaganism," which supported America's role as global leader, international aid, and free trade.

The rivalry became personal, with Trump nicknaming Rubio "Little Marco" while Rubio once called Trump a "con artist."

Political alignment

During the Biden administration, Rubio maintained positions that contradicted Trump's, including advocating for continued U.S. support to Ukraine against Russian forces.

Despite these differences, Rubio emerged as a Trump ally during the 2024 presidential campaign.

He appeared at Trump rallies and on cable news programs supporting the then-candidate.

Multiple news outlets reported their relationship strengthened during the campaign, culminating in Trump nominating Rubio as Secretary of State, placing him fourth in the presidential line of succession.

The key policies

Rubio has played a central role in implementing several major Trump administration policies.

He secured El Salvador's cooperation with Trump's deportation initiatives and oversaw the dismantling of USAID, the U.S. government's international aid agency.

"When I have a problem, he has answers. He can fix things," Trump said of Rubio, according to Axios.

Criticism

Critics have accused Rubio of abandoning his previous values, noting his own Cuban immigrant background and prior support for international aid.

When accepting the Secretary of State position, Rubio stated he was serving the agenda of President Trump, which he described as having received a mandate from American voters.