“Rubio in Athens Uses Parthenon Backdrop to Tout Trump’s ‘America First’ Foreign Policy” — what this page in the network covers. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a sweeping, classically inspired speech in Athens on Wednesday, using the Parthenon as a dramatic backdrop to defend President Trump’s “America first” foreign policy. Drawing parallels from antiquity’s founders, philosophers, and conquerors to the modern American spirit, Rubio urged Europe to “awaken from its long slumber” and reject a “future of atrophy and servitude and decline.” He also wove in his family’s immigrant journey, framing American exceptionalism as a continuation of ancient ideals.
The address, which appeared tailor-made for a potential 2028 presidential run, comes as the Trump administration pushes Nato allies to increase defense spending and recalibrate transatlantic relations. Rubio’s selective reading of history casts the US as heir to classical virtues of strength and self-determination, while warning Europe against complacency. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.