One of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s own deputies spread a rumor about his sexuality in a string of since-deleted posts unearthed Monday.
Darren Beattie, the new acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, insinuated his boss was gay by referencing a baseless rumor from Rubio’s teenage years and boosted an unfounded claim that Rubio used to attend foam parties at gay nightclubs.
One of the posts in question unearthed by CNN was shared to X on Jan. 7, 2021, a day after the Capitol riot.
“Forget Wainwright park,” Beattie wrote, referencing a decades-old curfew violation that was twisted into speculation that Rubio is gay, “forget the foam, forget the war promotion and the neocon sugar daddies, forget the low IQ, forget the 2016 primary, Rubio is TOUGH ON CHINA (and good for military industrial complex) So be a good DOG and vote for him!!!”
A follow-up tweet about Rubio said, “What happens in the Cabana stays in the Cabana #Rubio.”
A third read, “Does Marco Rubio have a future in politics?”
CNN reported that Beattie deleted three other tweets from the year prior that called efforts to rebrand Rubio a nationalist a “scam,” “nonsense,” and “fake.”
Sexuality rumors involving Rubio, 53, emerged as attack lines from the far right in 2016. That was when Rubio was one of Donald Trump’s biggest primary foes, but he has since become fully embraced by MAGA—including by Beattie, he now insists.
“Secretary Rubio is 100 percent America First and it’s a tremendous honor to work for him in advancing President Trump’s world historical agenda,” Beattie told CNN in response to a list of questions sent about his old posts.
Beattie’s online presence in 2021 suggests he did not always feel that way. He suggested then that the GOP was trying to “reinvent” Rubio, who he insinuated was not a true nationalist.
“If a bunch of DC wonks try to reinvent Marco Rubio as a nationalist, but a ‘respectable’ one who promises tax credits to BLM supporters and is ‘TOUGH ON CHINA’ will you be a good dog and vote for him?” he wrote.
Rubio, who has been married to a former Miami Dolphins cheerleader since 1998 with whom he has four children, passed on commenting about Beattie’s old posts when reached by CNN, the network reported. He instead reiterated that Beattie’s State Department role would focus on combating online censorship. He added that Beattie is an acting official, meaning he cannot serve more than 300 days and will be out by the start of 2026.
Beattie and the State Department’s press office did not immediately respond to questions emailed by the Daily Beast.
A full-time position at Beattie’s level would have required Senate confirmation, which may prove tricky for him, given his inflammatory old posts. That includes the time his website, Revolver News, posted on the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade that women who get abortions should now be shot.
“BREAKING: It’s now legal to shoot women having abortions in New York City with your Supreme Court-issued concealed handgun,” read the post.
In 2018, the Trump administration fired Beattie from his White House speechwriter role after it was revealed he spoke at a conference featuring white nationalists.
Beattie’s State Department bio describes him as a “media entrepreneur and political strategist” who received a doctorate in political theory from Duke University, where he was also a professor.
“Beattie is passionate about affirmatively advancing free speech as a diplomacy tool, and marshalling America’s exceptional cultural achievements in the arts, music, and academia in furtherance of the safety, strength, and prosperity of the American people,” his page reads.
That page makes no reference to his media company’s intense boosting of conspiracy theories related to Jan. 6 and other high-profile incidents. In January, Revolver News alleged that a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter’s mid-air collision with an American Airlines jet over the Potomac was manufactured and that former President Barack Obama rigged court cases.
Beattie’s X account still features misogynist posts and other conspiracies, CNN reported, including that the Uyghur genocide in China is not real.
For now, Beattie remains a top adviser on public affairs and public diplomacy at the State Department and oversees its “Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,” which helps to coordinate foreign exchange programs and Fulbright scholarships.
