That quip came to mind watching US President Donald Trump’s foreign minister, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, address this year’s Munich Security Conference. In 2016, Rubio called Trump “a con artist” who could not be trusted with the nuclear codes. In Munich, Rubio saturated his speech with performative reassurance. Rubio’s promise of a future “as proud, as sovereign, and as vital as our civilization’s past” gives the game away. Whereas Talleyrand served France’s interests while reshaping Europe’s balance of power, Rubio serves a president who mistakes demolition for strength and nostalgia for renewal.

Source: Taipei Times February 23, 2026 18:24 UTC