Marco Rubio's Foreign Policy Evolution From Moderate to Ultra-Hawk

The shift dovetailed his rehabilitation with conservatives after he was punished for backing immigration reform.

Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida and 2016 U.S. presidential candidate, speaks during the South Carolina Freedom Summit hosted by Citizens United and Congressman Jeff Duncan in Greenville, South Carolina, U.S., on Saturday, May 9, 2015. The Freedom Summit brings grassroots activists from across South Carolina and the surrounding area to hear from conservative leaders and presidential hopefuls.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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By Sahil Kapur

May 12, 2015 at 9:55 AM UTC

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In May 2012, Senator Marco Rubio gave a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York outlining a humble foreign policy. "I don't want to come across as some sort of saber-rattling person," he said, "because I'm not."

Three years later, the Florida Republican will return Wednesday to the venue for the first major foreign policy speech of his presidential campaign, where he is expected to complete a dramatic shift from moderate to ultra-hawk.