(Adnkronos) – Since taking office in January 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has flown at least 20 times to Gainesville, Florida, aboard government planes. The State Department confirmed to the Washington Post that Rubio attended at least ten games of the Florida Gators, the University of Florida’s football team, where he graduated. Rubio, who played football in high school and college, was present at all games in which his son Anthony, who joined the team in 2023 without an athletic scholarship, played.
The Washington Post estimated, based on Pentagon rates, a cost of over $1.2 million for more than 20 flights. Approximately $771,000 relates to 15 trips classified as exclusively personal, while the others had both private and official purposes. According to former State Department officials, Rubio appears to travel for personal reasons much more frequently than his predecessors. For security reasons, he is required to use government planes even for these movements and to reimburse the state the equivalent of an ‘economy’ class ticket. The amount paid has not been disclosed. “I have sought and will continue to seek to participate in as many important events for me and my family as possible,” Rubio stated.
