Marco Rubio

Former Senate Intelligence vice chair behind early UAP reporting mandates and AARO's creation; now Secretary of State and still asked about the topic.

Current role: U.S. Secretary of State (since January 2025); also served as acting National Security Advisor from May 2025. Comments on UAP occasionally but no longer legislates on it

Former roles:

Vice Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (2021–2025)
U.S. Senator for Florida (2011–2025)

Background

Lawyer and politician who served as the senior U.S. Senator from Florida from 2011 until January 2025, when he became Secretary of State. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee he was one of the earliest congressional voices for UAP transparency, pushing the 2020 report language that produced ODNI's first UAP assessment and, with Sen. Gillibrand, the 2021 amendment that created what became AARO. In June 2023 he told NewsNation that people beyond David Grusch had come to him with "firsthand" accounts, and he backed the Schumer–Rounds UAP Disclosure Act that July (NewsNation, New York). Since joining the executive branch he has spoken about UAP only occasionally.

On the record

2026-08-11 – The Katie Miller Podcast – said objects are flying over U.S. military installations that are not American and should be looked into: "I don't know who it is, I don't know what it is". He rejected cover-up claims, saying that if the government had proof the President would be all over it, including a primetime address, and acknowledged "People do believe we're covering something up". IBTimes · Axios
2023-07-30 – Ask a Pol – on Grusch's complaint: "Well, the Inspector General has deemed [Grusch's allegations] an urgent and credible threat to the…so that's how it's been referred to us". Ask a Pol
2023-07-23 – The Hill – "My primary interest in this topic is if there are … object[s] operating over restricted air space, it's not ours and we don't know whose it is, that's a problem that we need to get to the bottom of" and "Either [the whistleblowers] are telling the truth and that's something that obviously would be the biggest story in human history, or we have people in really important positions of government…who are crazy." The Hill
2023-07-14 – Schumer–Rounds press release, as a cosponsor – "There is a lot we still don't know about these UAPs and that is a big problem," and "We've taken some important steps over the last few years to increase transparency and reduce stigmas, but more needs to be done. This is yet another step in that direction, and one that I hope will spur further cooperation from the executive branch." Senate Democrats
2021-12-09 – joint release on the final FY2022 NDAA – "It is my hope that the creation of a new joint Defense Department and Intelligence Community office focused on UAPs will provided the resources, analytics and attention needed to determine what is loitering around our military training ranges," adding that the provision maintains "the transparency and accountability that my provision in last year's Intelligence Authorization Act report provided, by ensuring ongoing unclassified reporting." Release
2021-05-17 – interview – urged the U.S. government to take UAP reports seriously ahead of the June 2021 ODNI preliminary assessment. The Guardian

Reported claims (secondary / anonymous-sourced)

2025-02-11 – per Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, announcing the Secrets Task Force – "The Secretary of State, as you know, Rubio has been very supportive." Ask a Pol

Timeline of involvement

2021-05-17 – urges the government to take UAP seriously before the ODNI assessment
2021-12-09 – Rubio–Gillibrand language creating an AARO precursor enacted in the FY2022 NDAA
2023-06 – tells NewsNation other insiders have brought him "firsthand" accounts
2023-07-14 – cosponsors the UAP Disclosure Act
2025-01-20 – leaves the Senate; sworn in as Secretary of State the next day
2025-05-01 – named acting National Security Advisor alongside State
2026-08-11 – Katie Miller Podcast remarks on objects over military sites

Relevant links

Part of the Key People in Disclosure series. Verified 2026-10-10. Spotted an error? Reach out.