The Daily Populous Saturday February 14th, 2026 evening edition
Authored by thetimes.com and submitted by TimesandSundayTimes

Marco Rubio called for a “reinvigorated” transatlantic alliance in his speech at the Munich security conference on Saturday, as he struck a less contentious tone than JD Vance at last year’s event.

The US secretary of state reassured leaders by declaring that America and Europe “belong together”, while still attacking their policies on immigration, border security and climate change.

He said: “While we are prepared if necessary to do it alone, it is our preference to do it together with you.”

Rubio with Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor LIESA JOHANNSSEN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

However, he warned that the US had “no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the west’s managed decline”, criticised the “foolish” concept of a world without borders and suggested that immigration posed a threat to “the survival of civilisation itself”.

Rubio added: “What we want is a reinvigorated alliance, one that is not paralysed into inaction by fear, fear of climate change, fear of war, fear of technology. We want an alliance that boldly races into the future.”

airmantharp on February 14th, 2026 at 02:36 UTC »

Rubio: "Yes, my boss is batshit, what of it?!?"

better-every-day on February 13rd, 2026 at 22:50 UTC »

Rubio confuses me.

I have zero doubt that he doesn't agree with a lot of the foreign policy put forth by the current administration, but he also doesn't seem to push back against it either. I'm wondering if there's some kind of line in the sand for him that he will not cross and would quit.

I think Trump's imperialist muses are real and as he becomes even more demented and megalomaniacal throughout the rest of his term I'm sure Rubio will be put in very difficult positions

Margaritajoe420 on February 13rd, 2026 at 22:16 UTC »

This administration is on PCP