The State Department is pushing back hard on a Washington Post report that criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio for flying military aircraft to watch his son play football at the University of Florida, Rubio’s alma mater.
The Post’s story, headlined “Flying by pricey military jet, Rubio rarely misses a Florida football game,” reported that Rubio’s personal flights “have cost the government more than $1.2 million” and framed the trips as a “cost to taxpayers.”
What the Post also acknowledged in its own reporting: Rubio has no choice in how he travels. Like the defense secretary and the directors of the FBI and CIA, he is barred from flying commercially for security reasons. When he travels for personal reasons, federal rules require him to reimburse the government the cost of an economy-fare ticket.
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson called out the paper directly on X, noting that “Post’s own story quotes watchdogs saying this isn’t a story and there’s nothing here.”
Johnson laid out the facts: Rubio is required to use military aircraft, he is “entirely unapologetic and will continue to attend as many of his family’s events as his jobs allow,” and he reimburses the government for the personal portion of his travel as the law demands.
The Post drew a comparison to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who faced an audit over personal travel during the Biden administration. Johnson called that comparison “moronic,” pointing out that the transportation secretary’s job does not require military aircraft use in the first place — a distinction the Post’s own reporting confirmed.
Rubio himself defended the trips to the paper, saying, “I have and will continue to try and make it to as many events that are important to me personally and to my family as possible.”
A government ethics expert quoted by the Post conceded that “Rubio’s travel complies with federal rules” but said it “raises a question about stewardship of public money.”
The State Department did not immediately respond to a follow-up request for comment. The Washington Post also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Backlash Online
Critics outside the administration piled on as well. Former White House press advisor Pat Adams wrote: “The Washington Post is trying to make a scandal out of Secretary Rubio traveling to attend his son’s football games. They admit he’s required to travel by government plane and that his trips all comply with federal rules, but they published the story anyway to suggest impropriety.”
“Most parents do whatever they can to see their children compete, but the Washington Post tries to paint that as bad judgment. Completely absurd article,” Adams added.
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, now a Fox News contributor, offered a shorter take on X: “Washington Post confirms Secretary Rubio is a great dad.”
The Post’s own reporting noted that senior officials have long used government planes for occasional personal travel, a practice that became a formal requirement in 1993.
