MAGA diehard Darren Beattie — who was fired from a White House speechwriting job early in Donald Trump’s first term for appearing at a conference attended by known white nationalists — has been tapped by Marco Rubio for a top State Department job.
But Beattie and Rubio have opposing views of China: Rubio sees it as oppressive, yet Beattie has repeatedly applauded the Chinese government for being “non-woke.”
In social media posts between 2020 and 2024, Beattie frequently praised the Chinese Communist Party and suggested it would be better for the citizens of Western countries if their governments were more oppressive — or if the Chinese government actually invaded them. His firing and past social media posts supportive of Jan. 6 rioters already made Beattie a controversial choice. But he may also have a tough time winning over China hawks in the Senate as he tries to get confirmed as acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs. He’s already in the job in an acting capacity.