Trump's defeat sparks Cabinet loyalty questions as Rubio weighs exit

Trump's electoral defeat has prompted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider leaving the administration, with preparations underway to make Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a scapegoat, according to Bloomberg. Rubio is weighing whether to resign to preserve a potential 2028 presidential run, though the State Department and Rubio himself deny the reports. He has endured years of Trump's insults, including the "Little Marco" label, and was seen as a likely first casualty of any purge. The first resignation came from Justice Department civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon, while Republicans view Hegseth as a target for blame over the Iran war's electoral impact, with a potential Democratic impeachment looming in January.