Marco Rubio refuses to apologize after WaPo report on military jet trips to see son’s football games

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trips to watch his son play college football have come under scrutiny after The Washington Post reported on his use of military aircraft to attend Florida Gators games. However, Rubio and his team are not backing down, with one of his aides insisting that the secretary is unapologetic about making time for his family.

The report, published on Wednesday, November 11, drew attention to Rubio's travel to Gainesville, Florida, where his son Anthony plays for the Florida Gators. His aide also pushed back against the criticism, saying Rubio is required to use military aircraft under government protocols.

Marco Rubio's military aircraft trips to Florida Gators games draw attention

Rubio has had a busy schedule recently, including a much-publicized trip to Greece last month and an appearance at the G7 summit in Paris.

However, his travel to Florida to watch his son play football has now become a talking point.

Anthony joined the Florida Gators in 2023 as a preferred walk-on running back and has appeared in several games.

He also scored a touchdown during the team's Gasparilla Bowl appearance in December 2024.

The Post's report focused on the secretary's use of military aircraft for trips to Gainesville to watch his son play.

"Since taking office last year, Rubio, a Florida graduate, has flown to at least 10 Gators football games, the State Department confirmed in response to a Washington Post analysis of flight records. He has traveled to Gainesville aboard government aircraft at least 23 times, including 15 trips the department characterized as solely personal," it said.

As per The Post, former State Department officials even said that Rubio's personal travel "appears to significantly outpace that of his predecessors." The outlet found that the trips have cost the government over $1.2 million.

The coverage prompted a response from Rubio's team, which defended the travel arrangements and his decision to attend family events whenever his schedule permits.

Marco Rubio's aide delivers unapologetic response to Washington Post report

One of Rubio's aides, Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson, responded to the criticism by pointing out that the secretary is required to use military aircraft under government protocols.

The aide also made it clear that Rubio would not stop attending his family's important events simply because his travel had attracted attention.

"Sec Rubio is entirely unapologetic and will continue to attend as many of his family’s events as his jobs allow— that includes his son’s football games for his final year of college football," Johnson wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

He stressed that, like other mandated travelers, Rubio reimbursed "the government for all personal travel."

Rubio told The Post in a statement, “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.”