Dylan Johnson calls The Independent's report on Rubio completely baseless fake news
Dylan JohnsonAssistant secretary of state for global public affairs, in a post on X
Johnson says The Independent's report that Rubio is expected to step down is baseless fake news from made-up anonymous sources and says the department looks forward to revisiting the report in the coming weeks.
Responding to
The Independent reports that Marco Rubio is on resignation watch and expected to quit his role in the Trump administration to prepare a bid for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, citing unnamed Republican sources, a Rubio ally and a senior UK government source.
“This is completely baseless fake news from made-up anonymous "sources." We look forward to revisiting this "report" in the coming weeks to celebrate yet another humiliating own goal by The Independent.”
Original post
Original post
Other statements by Dylan Johnson in this case
Every statement by Dylan Johnson
Where this statement fits
Reports say Marco Rubio is weighing leaving the Trump administration after the midterms; Rubio says working for Trump to the end of the term has always been his plan
On November 5, 2026, The Independent and then Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources, that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to leave or was weighing leaving the Trump administration after Republicans' midterm losses. Rubio told The New York Times that working for Trump until the end of his term has always been his plan, and State Department and White House spokespeople called the reports fake.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Post by Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, on his official X account. It quotes Andrew Feinberg's post sharing The Independent's report that Rubio is expected to step down and run for president.
Original post
About this source
Post by Andrew Feinberg, White House correspondent for The Independent, sharing the outlet's report that Rubio is expected to step down and run for president.
Before the quotation
Johnson quotes a post by Andrew Feinberg, The Independent's White House correspondent, sharing the outlet's report that Rubio is expected to step down and launch a bid to be the next U.S. president.
After the quotation
In the same post, Johnson calls the report a completely fabricated hoax and says Feinberg recently worked for a Russian state-owned media outlet.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the November 5, 2026 reporting that Rubio is weighing leaving, or is expected to leave, the Trump administration. Johnson calls The Independent's version of that report baseless and fabricated, which denies it.
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- People and groups discussed
- The Independent
More from this case
Read the full caseBloomberg's Eric Martin says Rubio is considering a departure but has not decided
“our reporting is that a departure is something that Rubio is considering, but that it's not decided yet ... even if he WERE to leave, it wouldn't necessarily happen immediately, and wouldn't necessarily be to pursue a 2028 presidential run.”Read statement
Rubio says he does not know where reports of his exit come from and that serving out Trump's term has always been his plan
“always been my plan ... I don't know where these things come from, to be honest with you. ... I love the work I'm doing ... And plus I always laugh when they say he's going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'”Read statement
White House spokesperson Beni Rae Harmony calls the Bloomberg report a fabricated hoax
The White House
“This fake news is nothing more than a fabricated hoax being peddled by anonymous sources with no factual information ... Secretary Rubio is a fearless fighter for President Trump and the MAGA movement.”Read statement
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- Dylan Johnson calls The Independent's report on Rubio completely baseless fake news
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The Dispute Index. "Dylan Johnson calls The Independent's report on Rubio completely baseless fake news". First published: 2026-11-07. Last updated: 2026-11-07. https://disputeindex.com/events/8347-johnson-says-the-independent-s-report-that-rubio