The speech delivered at the Pnyx — the place where ancient Athenian citizens gathered to debate before making decisions about the affairs of their city — by Marco Rubio, the Cuban-American Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and Donald Trump’s favored candidate for the U.S. presidency, at this time, is historic for at least three reasons.
First, because it was, in essence, the opening speech of Rubio’s presidential campaign for the 2028 election.
Second, because his speech on democracy, as it could be described, opens a “window” onto a more traditional post-Trump era.
Third, but by no means least, because his choice of Greece as the place where he would lay his cards on the table demonstrates appreciation for and respect toward Greece and its leadership. This reflects positively on Greece internationally, while also sending a message to Turkey — indirect, certainly, but unmistakable.
To elaborate: It is significant that the Pnyx, and Greece itself, have become part of the discussion surrounding the U.S. presidency.
Greece is becoming part of America’s domestic political conversation, a close ally that a leading presidential contender chose as the place to present the rationale behind his candidacy, concerning the foreign policy.
His masterful speech, which will define him from this point forward, uses Athenian democracy as its compass while reaffirming the faith and commitment of a future, post-Trump America, to democracy.
And there could have been no more appropriate place to proclaim his commitment to democratic government than the Pnyx.
On April 4, 2025, Rubio chose NATO headquarters in Brussels to emphasize the need for member states to assume greater responsibility.
Now he has chosen Athens. And he chose it not only because democracy originated there, but also because Greece is a country with which he can identify.
This message carries significance for everyone, from the rating agencies assessing the Greek economy to Turkey.
The editorial in The Wall Street Journal is of particular interest:
“Mr. Rubio moved on with an honest appraisal that “today, too much of the West has forgotten this quality. Over time, we in the West came to feel ashamed of the very things that made us exceptional. We felt embarrassed that our achievements set us apart from the rest of the world. Our prosperity somehow became a source of guilt. We no longer believed we deserved and had earned our greatness.”
Mr. Rubio is describing a larger ambition that connects the best of the West’s past to a better future. Our view is that Americans are aching for this kind of vision and leadership, and they will respond to someone who offers it.”
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