Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the West is at “an inflection point,” and urged European nations to join the US in “confronting the threats of our age” and triumphing over them during a major speech in Athens Wednesday.
Rubio called on Europe to “awaken from its long slumber and rekindle the fire that was here millennia ago,” in a highly allusive speech that used classical references and American history — whether through “Achilles” or “the Alamo” — to affirm allies’ sovereignty.
“We are at an inflection point, an inflection point not only in the history of my nation, but an inflection point in the whole of our civilization,” Rubio said with a postcard-view of the Acropolis behind him as the sun set. “The threats we face today are every bit as real as they were on the dramatic stage of antiquity.”
“We want to win together; we must win together,” he added.
The Cabinet official’s remarks come as Rubio is widely rumored to be eyeing a future presidential run — potentially as soon as 2028 — though the secretary has dismissed talk of seeking higher office, especially if VP JD Vance jumps in.
He gave a full defense of President Trump’s “America First” worldview.
“Under President Trump, the United States has made its choice,” Rubio said. “We choose the unapologetic pursuit of national power, to take back control of our critical supply chains, to reindustrialize our economy, to rebuild our defense, to fight for dominance of the technologies and industries of the future.”
He also frequently alluded to remarks from famous presidential speeches, borrowing at times phrases from Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy.
“Though passions may at times have strained the bonds of affection between the United States and Europe, it must not be allowed to break them together,” Rubio intoned.
At several points, he also expressed hope that “all of Europe” would follow Greece’s example, not only in the past but in the present.
“We should marvel at what our forefathers carved out of this countryside,” he concluded. “The story of our civilization is the greatest story ever known to man, and it began here with the first men and women of the West.”
“From them … we can rediscover the virtues,” the secretary added, “the courage and the strength to confront the dangers that we face in our time.”
